The project, dubbed NEOM, is being spearheaded by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who plans to build two twin skyscrapers 500 metres high, which will span horizontally for miles.

First announced in 2017, this operation is an attempt to attract more foreign investment and diversify the Saudi oil-based economy. Now Saudi Arabia declared that will be fund $500 billion into its construction.

The original plan was to build a series of developments that would be linked by an underground hyper-speed rail. Now, however, the current project – which promises to be revolutionary – features two skyscrapers extending from the Red Sea coast to the desert.

The building will house a mix of residential, retail, and office space and it will be built in stages based on demand. To develop NOEM, Saudi officials are working with Morphosis, a California-based architecture firm. The details of the project are still under wraps.

Photo by Ekrem Osmanoglu on Unsplash.