Almost a decade ago, in 2017, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched plans for the country’s first futuristic, fully automated mega-development project, NEOM. The high-tech initiative was initially estimated to cost around US$ 500 billion (approximately INR 45.5 lakh crore). Given Saudi Arabia’s harsh climatic conditions, NEOM’s location was selected in the Tabuk province for its relatively milder temperatures, which typically range from winter lows of around 4°C to summer highs of approximately…
