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EGO-mad Saudi Arabia has admitted its crown jewel megacity project The Line will not be finished for the next five decades.
Concerns have been expressed for the first time about the £1trillion Neom project being built as part of the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 - but developers have said "We are not foolish".
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The wildly ambitious Neom is set to become a smart city - a region that will be characterised by numerous cities, lavish resorts, and other tourism-based real estate developments.
Within the city was The Line - a 106 miles-long by 200 metres-wide sideways skyscraper that is supposed to "shine a light on alternative ways to live".
In a desperate attempt to become the centre of the world, Saudi is spending billions of dollars to blow life into these mega projects, but many of them are being built at the cost of human lives.
Saudis first said the Neom project would be done and dusted by the end of this decade.
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However, any belief that it would be complete by 2030 has now been ruled out.
Speaking at an event in Riyadh, the Minister of Finance Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan said neom will take decades to complete.
He added: “Neom is a 50-plus-year plan.
“If anyone is thinking Neom in its grand size is going to be built and operated and making money in five years, that's foolish. We are not foolish. We are wise people."
“Some projects within Neom will make returns in the short to medium term but this is a very long-term program.”
Many concerns have also been raised about the Neom project amid a shocking change of leadership last month.
An official statement read: “As NEOM enters a new phase of delivery, this new leadership will ensure operational continuity, agility and efficiency to match the overall vision and objectives of the project.
“Progress continues on all operations as planned, as we deliver the next phase of our vast portfolio of projects."
News of the leadership shift came after reports that plans for The Line had been drastically scaled back.
Despite plans for the mirrored city to extend 106 miles and house 1.5 million residents by the end of the decade, it is now looking more likely that it will stretch 2.4km and house only 300,000 people by 2030.
The "unsurprising" scale-down is said by experts to reflect the Saudi government's struggles to win over foreign investors, as well as the nation's vulnerability to oil prices.
Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal analyst at risk consultancy Maplecroft
Advertisement, told The Telegraph: "Foreign direct investment investors haven’t really bought into the Crown Prince’s vision for a new Saudi Arabia."
The Line was arguably the most striking element of the proposal.
It is said to run from east to west across the Neom region, clad with mirrored facades.
Inside The Line, there was to be every luxury a person could dream of - from an octagonal floating port and a swimming lane to a synthetic ski resort and a sports stadium.
Aerial images released earlier this year showed a chasm for the futuristic city had been carved out of mountains and desert as excavation works continued along the country's northwestern coast.
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'BLOODY PROJECT'
Despite the luxury plans for the ambitious builds human rights groups have expressed many concerns over the massive construction plans.
More than 21,000 workers have died in just eight years since Mohammed bin Salman launched his Saudi Vision 2030 project, according to shocking new statistics.
Staff have complained of feeling like "trapped slaves" and "beggars" in the country.
Serious allegations of missed payments, working illegal hours and a number of clear human rights violations have all been made.
Terrified workers and the heartbroken family members of workers who have died since moving to Saudi have revealed the horrors they've faced in recent years in ITV's latest expose.
With fears that migrant labour will be exploited and many locals would be displaced.
Saudi Arabia has also been hit with serious allegations claiming a significant number of migrants working in construction have disappeared.
Emerging reports allege that as many as 100,000 migrant workers have gone missing during the construction of NEOM.
New figures from ITV have also revealed that 21,000 foreign workers from India, Bangladesh and Nepal have all died since Vision 2030 was launched.
Nepal’s Foreign Employment Board suggests that over 650 Nepalese worker's deaths are still unexplained.
In the documentary, an undercover journalist named Noura speaks with workers from The Line about the toll it has taken on people.
Workers say some of them haven’t seen any cash go into their accounts for 10 months.
Other allege that they don't get fed or can't afford to eat with others and say they are never allowed to leave the Kingdom to see their families.
A driver who works for NEOM revealed the lack of sleep and continuous work has caused many accidents with almost five crashes per month.
Another major issue Noura found was how the combination of a busy workload, lack of food and sleep and a general negative environment can lead to mental fatigue and physical torment.
In many cases this stress led to illnesses.
In a statement NEOM replied: “We are assessing the claims made in this programme and, where required, will take appropriate action.
"We require all contractors and subcontractors to comply with NEOM’s Code of Conduct, based on the laws of Saudi Arabia and the policies of the International Labour Organization.
"They are subject to frequent inspections of their workers’ living and working conditions.”
Top 5 blunders plaguing NEOM project
BY Juliana Cruz Lima, Foreign News Reporter
Saudi Arabia's NEOM project, despite its ambitious vision, has been criticized for several major blunders that have raised concerns about its feasibility, ethics, and overall execution.
Here are the top five major blunders associated with the project:
Forced Displacement of Indigenous Communities: One of the most significant controversies surrounding NEOM is the forced displacement of the Huwaitat tribe.
This indigenous community, which has lived in the area for centuries, was forcibly removed from their ancestral lands to make way for the development of the mega-city.
The Saudi government's crackdown on those who resisted, including the killing of a tribal leader, Abdul Rahim al-Howeiti, has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organisations.
This blunder not only sparked international outrage but also tainted NEOM's image as a forward-thinking, humane project.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability Concerns: NEOM has been marketed as an environmentally sustainable city, but the environmental impact of such a massive development is a major concern.
The project's scale—covering over 26,500 square kilometers—poses significant risks to local ecosystems, particularly in the Red Sea, which is home to rich marine biodiversity.
Critics argue that the construction of artificial islands and extensive urbanisation could lead to irreversible ecological damage.
The enormous water and energy demands required to maintain a green city in the desert also raise questions about the project's sustainability.
Economic Viability and Cost Overruns: NEOM is one of the most expensive development projects in history.
But there are serious doubts about its economic viability. Critics question whether the project can attract the necessary foreign investment and whether it will generate sufficient returns to justify the enormous expenditure.
The economic risks are further compounded by potential cost overruns and delays, which are common in megaprojects of this scale.
This financial gamble has led some to worry that NEOM could become a costly white elephant if it fails to meet its ambitious goals.
Technological Overreach and Ethical Concerns: NEOM is envisioned as a high-tech city, heavily reliant on artificial intelligence, robotics, and extensive surveillance systems.
While this technological ambition is central to NEOM's identity, it also raises significant ethical concerns. The level of surveillance planned for the city could lead to unprecedented control over residents' lives, sparking fears about privacy and civil liberties.
The lack of transparency about how AI will be used, coupled with concerns about job displacement, has also led to criticism that NEOM’s technological vision may be more dystopian than utopian.
Cultural and Social Disconnect: NEOM’s vision of a futuristic, liberalized society clashes sharply with Saudi Arabia's deeply conservative cultural norms.
The project plans to introduce mixed-gender sports, entertainment events, and other liberal lifestyle elements that are rare in the kingdom.
This cultural shift has raised concerns about a potential clash between NEOM's globalised vision and the traditional values of Saudi society.
The disconnect between the project's ambitions and the broader cultural context has led to skepticism about whether NEOM can truly integrate into Saudi Arabia's social fabric without causing significant friction.
BY Juliana Cruz Lima, Foreign News Reporter
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