From defeating Argentina in the World Cup to creating mega-tourism projects, Saudi Arabia has found themselves amongst the “buzz” of the world. The oil-rich country has been known for exotic infrastructure, majestic skylines and futuristic cities. The up-and-coming projects are nothing short of the standard they have created as leaders in the architectural world. Talks of the NEOM Project is started in October of 2017, but the decision of Saudi Arabia to be the host country of the Winter Olympics 2029, expedited this process.

The blueprint of the project is one straight out of a set director or child’s imagination – but with a price tag of 500 billion dollars, anything is imaginable. The first sub-project of the NEOM project is a city known as “The Line,” the 170km long, 500-meter-tall façade city in the Tubak Province. Being built to house nine million people, this sub-project is one for the record books. With a capacity like that and the size of the city, many would question the carbon footprint of the city. Surprisingly, The Line is expected to have a positive impact on the environment, with plans to reduce carbon emissions by up to 40%.

Joesph McMongile is the Secretary of the International Energy Forum of Saudi Arabia and looks for ways to improve the carbon footprint of technology. In an in interview held by the IEF, McMongile had an ample amount to say about the carbon foot-print of the city.

“We applaud the kingdom for its vision and efforts to employ advanced technological solutions to address the urgency of climate change,” McMongile said.

The project is set to be built on a 26,500 square kilometer area of land in northwest Saudi Arabia. It will be powered by renewable energy sources and will feature a number of cutting-edge technologies. These include autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence and other futuristic commodities. The city will also feature a number of innovative services, such as a digital healthcare system and a digital education system.

Alex Sprouse (12) loves the innovative technology that the project will put into place.

“It’s really cool to see what technology they will use for the projects; the future is definitely going to be a cool place,” Sprouse said.

Along with the futuristic city, Saudi Arabia has planned a modern ski resort. This comes around as the country was selected to host the 2029 Winter Olympics. Trojena will be a mountain destination built in the NOEM.  The destination will feature a luxury ski resort, mountain biking and various water-sports, and many restaurants with shopping areas.

The project is still in its early stages, but it has already attracted a lot of attention from investors and tech companies. It is seen as a major step forward for the region and could be a major boost for the Saudi economy.

Chase Stone (10) has been keeping up with the progress and development of this project for a while and has some excitement for the future.

“I think it is a giant leap into the future of tourism.  It’s revolutionizing not only tourist attractions, but also a strong look into the future of urban living,” Stone said.