The Arab Parliament has selected the Saudi city of NEOM as the best Arab project to achieve sustainable development in 2022.
NEOM was chosen for promoting the concept of the future and sustainable development, as one of the models for building generations, creating smart cities, and supporting efforts to preserve the environment.
NEOM, located in the far northwest of the Kingdom in the Emirate of Tabuk, is a Saudi project aimed at building the first cognitive city with world-class technology. It was launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in October 2017 and stretches over an area of 460 kilometers on the Red Sea coast.
NEOM recently announced the building of a new city called The Line, which is projected to become a global hub for generating clean energy.
A model for extraordinary living, The Line will paint a revolutionary picture for what future communities would look like and how they would come to live in harmony with nature, NEOM CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr said in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat last month.
He added that the pedestrian city would offer an attractive environment for innovators, entrepreneurs and investors.
An official statement said construction would start in Q1 2021 on the project, which is expected to contribute $48 billion to the Kingdom's GDP and provide 380,000 job opportunities by 2030.