Neom is the futuristic multipurpose mega-development in Saudi Arabia everybody has been talking about for years now.
Ever since The Line hit international headlines, there has been huge interest in this $500 billion city in the north-west of the kingdom. And the latest destination – a luxury eco-tourism spot called Zardun – was announced on Wednesday, making it the 11th project revealed so far.
From the world's largest megastructure to the region's first major outdoor skiing destination, there's plenty to look forward to.
Here's a review of all the regions coming up.
The Line
Announced: January 10, 2021
Easily the most famous of Neom's communities, The Line made international headlines when it was announced in 2021 for its sheer ambitiousness. The 170-kilometre-long, 500-metre-tall dual towers will be the greatest real estate challenge undertaken by mankind, Giles Pendleton, executive director of the development, told The National.
Once completed, it will be the largest megastructure in the world – a futuristic, mirrored residential and business block that rises over the expanse of desert, emerald waters, rocky inlets and white beaches of the rugged Tabuk province.
The structures will be connected by walkways and a high-speed train will run beneath, with daily essentials a mere five-minute walk from anywhere. The whole city will run on 100 per cent renewable energy, with no roads or cars, and 95 per cent of the land will be preserved for nature, aiming to enhance air quality.
Oxagon
Announced: November 16, 2021
This city is set to be the largest floating industrial complex in the world. Oxagon will establish the first fully integrated port and supply chain ecosystem for Neom.
It will be built as an industrial city to showcase a radical new model for future manufacturing centres, one designed to help protect the environment while creating jobs and growth for Neom.
The plan is for it to be a net-zero city, fully powered by clean energy and it will focus on seven sectors – sustainable energy; autonomous mobility; water innovation; sustainable food production; health and well-being; modern methods of construction and technology; and digital manufacturing, including telecoms, space technology and robotics.
Trojena
Announced: March 3, 2022
Trojena will be a new global destination for mountain tourism, set for completion by 2026.
It will be the first major outdoor skiing destination in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations and will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.
Located in Tabuk, the kingdom's highest mountain range, the region's cooler climate makes the prospect of skiing possible in a country that is more closely associated with the desert.
Split into six districts – gateway, discover, valley, explore, relax and fun – the new year-round tourist destination will feature attractions such as a ski village, luxury family and wellness resorts, a wide range of retail stores and restaurants, in addition to sports activities, including a ski slope, watersports and mountain biking, and a nature reserve.
Sindalah
Announced: December 5, 2022
Seahorse-shaped Sindalah will be the first destination to open to tourists in the megacity. Spread over 840,000 square metres along the Red Sea, this luxury island destination will have a strong focus on conserving its surrounding natural beauty, most of which is untouched.
It will be home to several upscale hotels and a large yachting marina, as well as a beach club, wellness centre and luxury shopping outlets.
Sindalah will also be home to the GCC's first island golf course. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, the nine-hole golf course will have a 280-metre driving range and golf practice suites. It will also be home to an on-site sports club with a training academy, Olympic-size swimming pool, spa and courts.
Leyja
Announced: October 15, 2023
Sustainable tourism destination Leyja was announced late last year. The area begins at the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba and winds inland to form a valley carved between 400-metre-high mountains.
About 95 per cent of Leyja will be preserved for nature, while the rest will combine ecological design and construction techniques to ensure the development blends into the landscape, according to a statement.
There will be three hotels, with 40 keys each, offering 120 boutique rooms and suites. The first property will focus on active adventure as the design ascends the walls of the wadi like a staircase, folding into a cliff top and valley sides. The second property will sit at the heart of the wadi's largest oasis, while the third will be a wellness retreat with a reflective facade mirroring the surrounding valley walls.
Fine dining restaurants and rooftop infinity pools will also feature, while guests will have the opportunity to go on guided wadi walks, mountain biking trails and rock climbing adventures.
Epicon
Announced: November 15, 2023
Epicon was another luxury coastal tourism destination with a residential offering announced last year. It will feature two towers, one 225 metres tall and another one reaching 275 metres.
These will be home to a premium 41-key hotel and luxury residences with 14 suites and apartments. A short distance from here will be the Epicon resort, with 120 rooms and 45 beach villas.
In the area, there will be a beach club, spa, gym, library, workspaces, pools and lounges. Amid the surrounding natural environment, activities and water sports will be on offer. An array of restaurants will also be built.
Siranna
Announced: November 29, 2023
Located on the Gulf of Aqaba coastline, hexagon-shaped luxury hotel Siranna will be home to 65 rooms as well as 35 exclusive residences. Like hexagonal pillars rising from the water, the futuristic hotel promises to offer uninterrupted views of the Red Sea, while the tiered design will offer different perspectives.
Access to the hotel will be via boats where guests will sail through natural rock formations before reaching the entrance of the property.
A beach club, spas and state-of-the-art wellness facilities will be part of the offering. Guests will also be able to enjoy winding discovery trails on foot or horseback to explore where the sea, mountain and wadi meet. A range of dining and entertainment options will be offered.
The architecture will pay homage to the heritage of the local area and also blend into the adjoining mountain and wadi.
Utamo
Announced: December 13, 2023
Utamo aims to be an immersive venue for art and entertainment cocooned in a mountain along the coastline.
The plan is for guests to arrive via an extended garden promenade, featuring more than 50 species of shrubs, herbs and flowers, before reaching the grand hall.
It will include a multipurpose performance space, VIP lounges and signature restaurants. There will be artistic installations, concerts and more, all with the promise of enhancement by advanced audiovisual systems.
Norlana
Announced: December 27, 2023
This coastal residential area is set to be an active lifestyle community with capacity for 3,000 inhabitants among 711 properties, including mansions, apartments and beach villas that are integrated into surrounding mountains.
There are also plans for a 120-berth marina that aims to be an international hub for superyachts, with a yachting members' club and water taxi services available for residents and guests.
An 18-hole golf course will sit between the mountains, alongside an equestrian and polo centre. Sailing and diving will also be offered.
Sport, health and well-being will be at the core of this community, as will sustainability, with a particular focus on preserving local land and marine environments.
Aquellum
Announced: January 10, 2024
A luxury and experiential space within the mountains, Aquellum promises cutting-edge technology, avant-garde architecture and futuristic living.
Concealed from the outside along the coastline, it will be hidden within a 450-metre-high mountain range.
To access Aquellum, visitors will embark on a journey that begins at what is being called the world's first floating marina. They will board a specially designed vessel to enter through a concealed underground canal.
Once inside, the announcement says “visitors will be treated to an exhilarating, 100-metre-high vertical experience”, with a courtyard space stretching from the water to the sky. It is described as a “subterranean digitalised community” with hotel accommodation, apartments, retail spaces, leisure and entertainment zones.
A space called The Generator will house research labs for disrupters and creative thinkers, while an internal transit system facilitates easy access to upper floors, ascending to rooftop gardens with coastal views.
Zardun
Announced: January 24
Yet another luxury eco-tourism destination, Zardun aims to be an exclusive sanctuary resort created to blend contemporary design with nature.
The coastline property will cover four square kilometres and host four signature buildings. The area will be filled with native plants and animals, stretching from the mountains to the shore and boasting an experience centre with a 360-degree observation deck.
There will be three boutique hotels with a total of 100 rooms and suites, each with a different theme.
Zardun will also have plenty of opportunities for trekking, mountain biking, rock climbing, stargazing, meditation and yoga. Guests will also be invited to join in educational programmes on nature protection, conservation and rewilding.
The sustainability strategy also includes the creation of a series of oases to support diverse habitats.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
