What Went Wrong at Saudi Arabia's Futuristic Metropolis in the Desert

Gift link: https://www.wsj.com/finance/saudi-arabia-neom-sindalah-15b9f...

I think when it comes to metropolises, one of the elements that makes them possible in the long run is a location that is a hub type or has natural amenities that lend themselves to comfortable low-cost living for generations as a relatively small village. It has to be nice enough not to move away from for people who would do perfectly well anywhere, including a big(ger) city.

Then it must be attractive enough and welcoming to newcomers in a continuous way for critical mass to build over the period of time necessary.

> The remote construction site had virtually no labor, no sizable port, few roads and insufficient electricity. The design involved an amusement park built 1,000 feet up and theaters suspended in the air between the parallel towers.

This just seems like willfully making the project harder / more expensive without much benefit…

It was kind of a duff idea from the start. Patrick Boyles youtube Neom - The Line - The Rise and Fall of Saudi Arabia's Linear City https://youtu.be/Ak4on5uTaTg is rather epic if you haven't seen it.

It always sounded like the boondoggle to end all boondoggles.