Adorned in the standard outfit for Saudi men: a long white gown with snaps down the front, known as a thobe; a red-and-white-checkered headdress held in place with a black cord; and black sandals with a scruffy beard that climbed high up his cheeks. Flanked by aides and trailed by photographers and television cameras, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ascended the stage and sank into a white armchair, ready for a rare interview with Saudi Journalist, Abdullah Al-Mudaifer.He did not waste time to throw more light on yet another hyper-ambitious project: NEOM, a city that would rise from an isolated plot of desert near the Red Sea, where businessmen would write the laws and entice the world’s top minds to innovate on Saudi soil.
Named “The Line,” the city will span 170km in length, bringing together Artificial Intelligence-powered communities with its capacity to house a million residents. The city’s environment will feature “zero carbon emissions,” according to the Crown Prince, as it will be built around nature, without any cars and streets. With a special focus on walkability, all essential daily services, such as schools, medical clinics, leisure facilities, as well as green spaces, will be within a five-minute walk, while “ultra-high-speed transit and autonomous mobility solutions” will ensure that no journey is longer than 20 minutes.
Not only will The Line be powered by 100% clean energy, but it will also preserve 95% of nature within NEOM. This is in response to the growing challenges facing our world, such as legacy infrastructure, pollution, traffic, and human congestion.
The Saudi Prince questions, “Why should we sacrifice nature for the sake of development? Why should seven million people die every year because of pollution? Why should we lose one million people every year due to traffic accidents? And why should we accept wasting years of our lives commuting?”
“Therefore, we need to transform the concept of a conventional city into that of a futuristic one,” he added.
Located in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea, NEOM is a giga-project spanning 26,500sqkm and dubbed a “living laboratory” due to its emphasis on fostering innovation and sustainability. It is part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan that seeks to diversify its economy by reducing its dependency on oil.
Abdulla Al-Mudaifer interviews the Prince and transcribed in English for TIME AFRICA Magazine.
Full Transcripts in our December 15″s Edition..
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