Executives from the Saudi crown prince’s "NEOM" megaproject have invited bankers and investors to a meeting in New York next month as they try to drum up international interest in their $500 billion plan to build a high-tech hub from scratch.  NEOM’s chief executive Nadhmi Al-Nasr and finance sector head Layth Al-Shaiban are scheduled to attend the event in early April, according to people familiar with the matter. Invitations were sent to private equity firms, bankers and construction suppliers for the gathering, which aims to gauge interest in the project, one of the people said. It’s potentially one of a series of events in multiple American cities, and follows a similar event in London last year, another person said.

His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of the NEOM Company Board of Directors, has announced the establishment of TROJENA – the new global destination for mountain tourism, part of #NEOM's plan to support and develop the tourism sector in the region.

The Crown Prince said: “TROJENA will redefine mountain tourism for the world by creating a place based on the principles of ecotourism, highlighting our efforts to preserve nature and enhance the community’s quality of life, which is aligned with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. It also confirms our commitment to be part of the global effort to protect the environment. TROJENA will be an important addition to tourism in the region, a unique example of how Saudi Arabia is creating destinations based on its geographical and environmental diversity. This forward-looking vision will ensure that mountain tourism will be another revenue stream to support the Kingdom’s economic diversification while still preserving its natural resources for future generations.”

Saudi Arabia will be a key driver of global trade growth with its exports projected to expand at an average annual rate of more than 7 per cent to $354 billion by 2030 as the country diversifies its economy away from oil, Standard Chartered said in a report on Tuesday.  Metals and minerals, plastic and rubber, chemicals and pharmaceuticals will dominate the kingdom's exports over the next decade, with India, China and South Korea being the principal export markets, Standard Chartered said.

LuLu Hypermarket is at the forefront of a smart city revolution sweeping Saudi Arabia and has opened the first Express Store in the NEOM Community. The new store features all the conveniences of LuLu Hypermarket offerings in terms of wide varieties of grocery as well as quality and affordability.

Saudi Arabia's $500 billion project, tops the wishlist of homebuyers in the nation, according to a new survey.  The Knight Frank’s annual 2022 Saudi Residential survey, carried out in partnership with YouGov, found out that NEOM is the most preferred location to buy a home by the Kingdom’s homeowners, first-time buyers, and high net worth individuals. 

Van der Hoeven Horticultural Projects (Van der Hoeven) has been awarded a design, build and operate contract by NEOM for two separate horticultural test facilities as part of the NEOM development in Saudi Arabia Tabuk Province. NEOM’s Food sector strives to become the world’s most food self-sufficient region, able to nourish residents with diverse, healthy food while preserving natural resources and reducing waste.

Brett Smythe has a big and challenging task ahead of him. Smythe, who is the chief projects officer of NEOM, has been commissioned along with his team to turn the ambitious dream of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of a $500 billion futuristic megacity into a reality.

The Arab Parliament has selected the Saudi city of NEOM as the best Arab project to achieve sustainable development in 2022.  NEOM was chosen for promoting the concept of the future and sustainable development, as one of the models for building generations, creating smart cities, and supporting efforts to preserve the environment.

Extreme E launched last year as an off-road series using all-electric SUVs in races in spectacular and challenging parts of the world such as the Saudi Arabian desert and the Arctic.   Each race aims to raise awareness for the impact of climate change in the country and provides social and environmental support for those locations.  Zenith signed as the Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner of the series in 2021 and is building on its association this year with the launch of five limited edition Defy Extreme Carbon chronographs; one for each of the 2022 Extreme E races.

An emerging lifestyle hospitality brand in the Middle East and Africa, LEVA Hotels’ flagship hotel notably ranks seventh out of 876 hotels in Dubai on TripAdvisor and holds a position on the platform’s top 10% of Best Hotels Worldwide.  With five properties under its portfolio, the brand has set its sights on expanding into top tier markets in the region, notably Riyadh, Jeddah, Diriyah, AlUla, Makkah and other areas close to mega-projects such as Amaala, The Red Sea Coast, NEOM, Qiddiya, and other key cities in Saudi Arabia.  LEVA offers a unique portfolio of 4 complementary and well differentiated hotel brands in the upscale and midscale segments.