In the spring of 2021, Melvin Samsom, former hospital director at Karolinska University Hospital, abruptly disappeared from his new job in Saudi Arabia, abandoning his car at the airport and fleeing the country. His departure was shrouded in mystery and linked to an investigation into alleged consulting contracts involving potential conflicts of interest. Samsom had joined the Neom project, a futuristic city envisioned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, just days after leaving Karolinska amidst controversy surrounding the hiring of expensive consultants from his native Netherlands.
Neom, the centerpiece of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, promised a revolutionary approach to healthcare, leveraging advanced technology to create ”digital twins” for every resident and attract ”medical tourists.” Samsom, featured in promotional videos, envisioned a world of personalized medicine, robot-assisted treatments, and the eradication of stress-related illnesses. This utopian vision, however, contrasted sharply with the realities of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, which has been criticized by organizations like Human Rights Watch for its crackdown on dissent and its high number of executions.
The Neom project encompassed ambitious plans for flying taxis, cloud seeding, robot maids, and even a giant artificial moon. It aimed to create ”the world’s best place,” with the healthiest population, a sustainable economy, and humane values. However, this grand vision relied heavily on the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose tenure has been marked by both modernization efforts and a brutal suppression of opposition. While women have gained some freedoms, activists advocating for change have been imprisoned, highlighting the complexities of social reform in a top-down system.
Fueled by Saudi Arabia’s vast oil wealth, Neom represented a significant diversification effort, aiming to lessen the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and foster growth in sectors like tourism. The project involved massive investments, both domestically and internationally, through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), managing hundreds of billions of dollars in assets. Yet, despite these ambitious investments, questions lingered about the project’s long-term viability, particularly given fluctuating oil prices and concerns about attracting foreign investment.
Beneath the gleaming facade of Neom’s futuristic vision lay a darker reality. The construction relied heavily on migrant workers, often subjected to exploitative labor practices. Furthermore, the project’s development displaced local communities, sometimes forcibly, leading to protests and even violence. The case of Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti, a member of the Howeitat tribe killed during protests against land appropriation, underscored the human cost of Neom’s construction.
As Saudi Arabia prepares to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, with several planned stadiums within Neom itself, the project faces increasing scrutiny. The ambitious scale, coupled with the country’s human rights record and the challenges of building a city from scratch in the desert, raises doubts about the project’s feasibility and its long-term impact. The focus on delivering key elements of Neom, such as the ”The Line” section containing the World Cup stadium and the Trojena winter sports resort, suggests a shift in priorities, potentially driven by financial constraints and the need to showcase tangible progress. The contrast between the futuristic stadiums and the surrounding desert landscape symbolizes the complex interplay of ambition, innovation, and political realities shaping the future of Neom and Saudi Arabia.
