NEOM is a flagship $500+ billion megaproject of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative, announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017. Spanning 26,500 square kilometers in the Tabuk Province along the Red Sea coast in northwestern Saudi Arabia, it is an ambitious futuristic 'cognitive city' designed to be a global hub for innovation, technology, tourism, entertainment, and advanced industries like biotechnology, robotics, and space exploration. The project aims to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil dependency and is powered entirely by renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. Key components include The Line—a 170-kilometer linear city designed to house 9 million residents without cars or streets—along with regions focused on sustainable living, luxury resorts, and industrial zones. Governed by the NEOM Authority as a semi-autonomous economic zone with its own legal and regulatory framework, it promises zero-carbon emissions, high-speed rail connectivity, and AI-integrated urban planning. Funded primarily through the Public Investment Fund (PIF) with international partnerships (e.g., Siemens, Oracle, Panasonic), it targets completion by 2030, though timelines have faced delays. Proponents highlight its potential to create over 1 million jobs and position Saudi Arabia as a leader in sustainable development. However, NEOM has drawn scrutiny over its scale and realism, including criticism from urban planners questioning the feasibility of The Line's mirrored megastructure and environmental impact on delicate ecosystems. The project has been mired in controversies, including allegations of human rights abuses such as the forced displacement of indigenous Huwaitat tribes without adequate compensation (leading to arrests and deaths during evictions in 2020-2021), environmental concerns about biodiversity loss and high water consumption, financial questions about funding sustainability amid scaled-back ambitions in 2024, and labor issues involving worker exploitation on construction sites. Despite these challenges, NEOM continues to advance, with initial phases like Oxagon port under construction.