The Saudi crown prince wants to build a trillion-dollar utopia in the desert. His deals with China reveal a darker vision.

Sun, 04/23/2023 - 04:17

NEOM, MBS — This image shows the design plans for 'The Line,' a part of the Saudi Arabian megacity of NEOM, and a portrait of its mastermind, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Nicolas Asfouri - Pool/Getty Images. NEOM

By 2040 Saudi Arabia is aiming to build a futuristic city in the desert called NEOM.
It's part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's modernizing vision of the country.
But analysts believe that Chinese tech could be used to place residents under total surveillance.

Plans for the trillion-dollar Saudi Arabian desert city of NEOM are taking shape, and prospective residents are being promised an experience like something from a sci-fi movie.

The city will have a 100 mile-long "vertical sky scraper" running through its heart. Also known as 'The Strip," it will be carved through the desert in the arid northwest of the country.