this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2025
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It appears that Neom—Saudi Arabia’s hugely expensive, architecturally bizarre urban development project—is floundering and close to collapse. A new report from the Financial Times cites high-level sources within the project to paint a picture of dysfunction and failure at the heart of the quixotic effort.

Neom was envisioned as a vast series of fantastical urban developments spread across the coast of the Red Sea. At the center of the project is The Line—a proposed 105-mile-long city which developers had initially projected could house as many as 9 million people by the year 2030. The Line is defined by bizarre architectural flourishes that, as the story notes, have seemed impossible even to the execs tasked with making them a reality.

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[–] hark@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

The predictable result of a "kingdom" ruled by an overgrown baby, who got put into power because it benefits other countries who need the oil to keep flowing. All the consulting and contracting dollars made along the way are a huge plus for those other countries duping the baby king. They've been duped by consultants for decades on idiotic projects like crop circles which suck up huge amounts of water to produce food at a higher price than they could get it imported using the very limited water which will not be replenished. They were sold on the idea of food independence, but it's idiotic to tap into those reserves when you can import the food for cheaper. Keep the reserve in case food imports jump up in price! Now they've used up much of those reserves and won't have it available for such an emergency, but the king of the time trusted the American consultants and enjoyed fluff pieces printed in American newspapers talking about how he's such a visionary (sound familiar?) for pursuing this.

When the oil money runs out, they'll be back to fighting over dunes of sand. It's a damn shame because that money could've done so much good, but instead it went into feeding the egos of a bunch of "princes".

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 36 points 4 days ago (2 children)

The damage to the Saudis’ brand here could be quite bad.

Ah yes, the once great brand of the Saudis'. Damaged... What idiot wrote this?

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago

someone who did not want to be thrown into a shredder?

[–] SaraTonin@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They’ve been quite successful at laundering their image. Plenty of people talk about going to Dubai as if it’s no different to going to Paris. The recent comedy festival got limited pushback online but doesn’t seem to have actually had any negative effects on the comedians who performed there.

[–] sik0fewl@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Dubai is not in Saudi Arabia.

[–] SaraTonin@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You’re right, I’m an idiot

[–] sik0fewl@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago

I do agree with your first sentence, though, your examples just weren't great 😁.

[–] Niberius@sopuli.xyz 48 points 4 days ago

Oh, you mean that project for which they forcefully relocated thousands of people and killed at least one?

Sure would suck if the Saudis murdered and imprisoned people and then bulldozed their homes for one of the dumbest and most expensive architectural failures in human history.

[–] Rooskie91@discuss.online 48 points 4 days ago

At least they're not wasting resources and fossil fuels during a time that is critical for the planets climate. /s

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Who could have seen this coming?

[–] SGGeorwell@lemmy.world 29 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Are they going to properly demolish it or just fly some planes into it?

[–] Marthirial@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

It's 9-1111111111111111111111 all over again.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 33 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

I think SAs wild architecture ideas are cool and fun but it's the blood money, slavery, and human rights violations that bother me.

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 28 points 4 days ago (1 children)

They're also wildly terrible. The only reason any of them get built is because the government throws huge amounts of money at it and doesn't care about the feasibility or impact.

[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Those are very much vanity projects, as Saudi royalty are on a epeen contest versus other Gulf emirates.

[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 13 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Part of the reason why Iran hates Saudi Arabia and its royalty for being predisposed to decadence just like the last shah they overthrew, in addition to the Sunni-Shia schism.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago

That, and the fact that the Saudis gave lip service to Palestinian rights, while cutting deals with Israel on the DL for decades (and now continuing to do so in the open). The Islamic Republic is full of shit in lots of ways, but they're definitely in opposition to Western interference in the region, and to states taht collaborate with the west in that interference.

[–] theoneandonlyeggboi@lemmings.world 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It doesn't matter.

That money was wasted lining the pockets of cronies, while everyone else still has to live in squalor.

[–] Lodespawn@aussie.zone 15 points 4 days ago (2 children)

It was actually a pretty great extraction of wealth by UK and international architectural and civil engineering firms.

[–] IronBird@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

it's almost funny how terrible the sauds are at ~~investing~~ gambling, or it would be if they didn't blow shit up everytime they get bagged.

nobody likes a sore loser

[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

McKinsey & Company alone pocketed $800+Millions for their "engineering consulting" ... If they gave me a $1000, I'd have given better consulting and saved them billions

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

McKinsey is a high-level management consulting firm. They don't know thing one about engineering. They just bought in the expertise and massively marked up the price, and probably even then, couldn't tell a good hire from a bad one.

[–] IndridCold@lemmy.ca 9 points 4 days ago

Who didn't see this one coming?

[–] Birch@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 days ago