Saudi's Dream in the Sand
Can a desert dictatorship turn itself into the next lush tourist destination?
Report by David Nicole and Jérôme Galichet, produced by RTS Radio Television Suisse
Until recently, Saudi Arabia was one of the most repressive countries on the planet. Now it plans to become a world leader in global tourism. Beyond the digital renderings, can its futuristic plans become reality?
“NEOM is a symbol that Saudi Arabia today is not the country of camels and Bedouins, but a country with aspirations and a vision for the future.” According to the Swiss Ambassador, NEOM represents the new Saudi Arabia. Yet investigations reveal that this future is fraught with environmental and human destruction. The NEOM project is a futuristic city and ski resort hybrid battling the sweltering Saudi desert to offer luxurious and novelty tourism opportunities to a new generation of holiday makers. Key investor Victor Lugli explains: “we see this country as an opportunity. Like in other countries around the world, it’s important to be here first”. NEOM has been engulfed in controversy since an ITV report revealed over 21,000 deaths and over 100,000 missing people associated with the construction site, which is the size of Belgium. Does Minister of Housing Majed bin Abdullah Al-Hogail think NEOM will succeed? “Even if we don’t manage to complete all of them it will be a success. We will learn, we will develop until these projects become a reality.”
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