Saudi Arabia’s masterplan NEOM megaproject is steadily progressing from the drawing board. After five years of spending cuts, the growing momentum of tender issuances from NEOM is good news for contractors.   The US group Aecom was appointed project management consultant for the NEOM Bay development in 2019, months after Riyadh approved the establishment of NEOM as a joint-stock company, wholly-owned by the Public Investment Fund, to develop the project. 

Saudi Arabia's mega project NEOM has invited bids for the construction of 31km of tunnels as part of THE LINE - a 170-km belt of hyper-connected future communities, without cars and roads and built around nature - at its $500-billion city project, according to a report. The tunnel project is a part of THE LINE’s infrastructure backbone. The deadline for submitting the bids has been set at December 30, said a report by GlobalData’s MEED.

According to GlobalData, the tendering activity for residential projects had also gathered pace in recent weeks with two tenders issued for one- and two-bedroom homes under the NEOM’s Community Expansion 3 programme. Also a separate tender was issued for 25 homes at NEOM Zero. 

The Japanese government, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization are collaborating to achieve a society in which people and robots work together.  The World Robot Summit is an international event that gathers some of the most advanced roboticists in the industry and accelerates technological development through competitions.

The Saudi national team, led by RPDC and sponsored by NEOM, Aramco, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology, and Taqnia, competed with 119 teams worldwide in the qualification round. Participating in a global robotics competition is a first for Saudi Arabia, yet RPDC managed to qualify among the top 16 teams to compete in the finals in Japan. Qualifying to the finals exemplifies the Saudi team’s ingenuity.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman at NEOM Palace on Wednesday, state news agency SPA reported. 
The crown prince welcomed the Qatari minister, while Sheikh Mohammed conveyed the greetings of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad to Saudi King Salman. Al-Thani also delivered a message from Qatar’s emir to the Saudi crown prince during the reception.

Informed sources reported to Al Arabiya.net that the Saudi company NEOM has commissioned 3 companies to provide technical and financial advice for the gigantic project of the NEOM desalination plant, in one moment in which the Kingdom is accelerating the pace of construction to be completed according to a specific schedule.

NEOM plans to use high-efficiency, low-cost technologies that will achieve more than 60% recovery, such as recovery membranes, reverse osmosis and advanced hybrid fluidless exhaust (ZLD) technologies to protect the environment.

The media programme will train 35 young participants who are seeking to enhance their career in the media industry which will take place in October this year. It will be conducted in person, organised by media consultancy Amanda Turnbull Associates.

This programme is ideal for those seeking to enhance their knowledge of the industry while simultaneously kick-starting their work experience. After completing the programme, 10 of the best participants will receive the opportunity to work at ITP Riyadh for 6 months with renowned publications like Harper’s Bazaar Saudi, Arabian Business, and Esquire Saudi Arabia. Top students will be offered full-time roles at ITP Saudi.

The UN has predicted that the global population will increase by about three billion to reach 11.2 billion by the end of the century, and all those new people will have to live somewhere.  The inexorable rise of the megacity, with populations often exceeding 40 million, will outstrip the likes of London, Paris and New York City.  Many new ideas will feature at Expo 2020 Dubai in its "Cities of the Future" visitor journey.

The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team and its Principal Partner NEOM are celebrating a double title win for the German car manufacturer after the final round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Berlin at the weekend.  The German Team and its Saudi partner had announced their new collaboration ahead of what was the first race of Formula E’s Season 7, with a demonstration run of the Mercedes-EQ Silver Arrow 02 on the scenic roads of NEOM, the first time an all-electric racing vehicle was driven in the Saudi coastal city.

Bollywood remains one of the most dynamic film industries globally. Worth an estimated $2.4 billion in 2020, Bollywood produces more films annually than Hollywood, including many produced outside India. Like any filmmaker, Indian producers are always on the lookout for new, fresh locations that provide logistical support and production incentives to give producers a competitive advantage.  

NEOM, which is creating the region’s first truly integrated media hub in Saudi Arabia, provides an exciting opportunity for Indian producers with unique and diverse locations that have never been used before as well as its production services support.  This fully integrated media ecosystem does not currently exist anywhere else in the world.