Well, lately, there’s some noise from the side of Saudi Arabia about megastructures/ – cities being build. There are two big new projects happening: New Murabba and Neom. Both mega-projects are initiated by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. My guess would be that he wants to be less dependent on the oil economics that made him unbelievably rich. Sooo.. invest in bricks ’n stones for tourism and more international allure for the super rich? Pretty “ballsy” move, because the Corona pandemic showed everyone how brittle the tourism-sector can be. We’ll see! Ethics aside, these two projects are fascinating for me, because they could be Cybepunk in the making. The available images / media , gives me some serious Deus Ex (best videogame ever!) vibes. Read about these two upcoming megacities in Saudi Arabia right here!
1. New Murabba
The 2030 mega-project is called New Murabba, a big area in the northern region of capital city Riadh, and consists of an area of 19 square meters with the recently mega-building “The Mukaab” right in the middle. This area will house possibilities for “hundreds of thousands new residents”, but if I look at their website, this will be a big commercial area with lot’s of shopping, leisure and holiday vibes. I guess the new residents will be the super rich who will own some real estate as a second / third or whatever home with rental possibilities. No working-class locals here, mind you. The press-release states that New Murabba will create 300.000 direct and indirect jobs, and the area is built with a focus on an active, healthy lifestyle and sustainability. I’m highly skeptical in how they frame this mega-city based on these pillars.
But.. as I mentioned… let’s place ethics aside for a bit. There’s a bold, future-ready vision as they want to built an immersive, ever-changing retail / leisure environment. So, I envision a place with digital walls / ceilings for projective puroposes where, based on location, every corner can simulate different environments that will be a multi-sensory experience. I guess there will also be AR technologies implemented with personalized shopping experiences. And, at any rate, holographic displays to enhance the multi-sensory experience. Imagine walking in a large shopping mall where a certain area can be transformed in every environment possible and where you receive on-the-spot personalized offers and items. Should be overwhelming! Minority report in the flesh! In 2009, I already saw a glimpse of what an ever-changing virtual environment can do. I went to Japan and on the man-made Island Odaiba, there’s a shopping mall called “Venus Fort” where the ceiling has an “infinite screen” where they project different weather styles ad day/night cycles.. That was pretty impressive and immersive. Imagine years later with the technological advancements of nowadays like the 3d billboards, AR. holographic displays…. Insane! To get a glimpse of New Murabba with the Mukaab as the centerpiece, have a look at the video below:
2. Neom
Even bigger than a new mega-city, there’s a whole new region build in Saudi Arabia called Neom. Neom wil consist of four different geographic area’s that will “redefine the future to reimagine what the future in 20-30 years will look like”:
- Sindalah –> A Luxury Island
- The Line –> The concept of a horizontal city, build vertically
- Trojena –> Right in the middle of mountains. Year-round skiing, events, nature…
- Oxagon –> Future-proof factories and industry
One of the regions is called “The Line”. A straight (you guessed it!) line of 170km long and just 200m wide (and 500m above sea level, so they got that covered). Again, a full focus on future-proof living, technological and architectural marvels and sustainability that blends in nature. The PR-machine is firing on all cylinders! 🙂 But still, the concept is fascinating. A horizontal-wide city re-imagined into a narrow but long stroke, vertically.
But again, ethics aside, what a massive and towering assignment this will be. Literal upper class and lower class regions will be built here quite possibly. What’s interesting, are some notes about the infrastructure. Within the area “The Line”, there will be a high speed track that connects every place-to-be within a 20 minutes timeframe. State-of-the-art transportation and efficiency is the game here. Just look at the video below and let this one sink in.
So, a lot of money will be spend in the near-future in Saudi Arabia and it might just be that this WILL be a new, redefining way to live in the future. With near-unlimited money and space, they can go all-out. I refuse to believe the PR-bullshit that this will be a sustainable enterprise for the best of the people, but the awe-inspiring vision is fascinating. It excites me, it frightens me… I don’t want it to happen but then again, I do…..