Building on what I previously presented about the city of NEOM, and having established that it will persist and succeed, and that the return on investment will be positive and surpass expectations, I return today to emphasize the importance of the genius of the concept, initiative, and location of NEOM as a geographical-strategic interpretation of the role of place as a catalyst for innovation and smart infrastructure in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Urban and Regional Planning

Part of that is due to the study and selection of the strategic location of NEOM as a global logistics hub based on economic geography and the connection between three continents. And how NEOM became a strategic site between the Red Sea and the desert, at the crossroads linking three continents, to witness how a place crafts the identity of a low-emission future city.

And to clarify here the importance of NEOM's location and the theory of geographic centralization: how the choice of location contributed to shaping the model of a 21st-century city, and how NEOM's geographic location will succeed as a natural platform for smart city experiments and renewable energy, and it has strategic value in reshaping the northwest of the Kingdom and as a strategic location for a global center for energy, innovation, and connectivity.

Location study is one of the most critical factors in the success of modern cities, whether traditional or smart cities that rely on technology and innovation. Location is not merely a space on which facilities are built, but an integrated system of geographical, environmental, economic, and social conditions that directly affect the city's ability to grow, compete, and sustain. Global experiences have shown that ignoring this essential factor leads to the failure of major projects regardless of their size, while other cities succeeded because they relied on in-depth studies of the location and its conditions and potential (Lynch, 2020; Hall, 2014)..

NEOM stands out as a modern example of a massive project based on rigorous location studies, relying on open spaces, diverse terrain, and proximity to three continents, in addition to having unique climatic and natural characteristics. National development reports have confirmed that NEOM’s geographic location gives it competitive opportunities in renewable energy, advanced industries, and the digital economy. With the realization of the value of the location and its clear link to strategic objectives, it is expected that the city will achieve positive results beyond expectations, especially with its adoption of future city models and the engineering of the relationship between humans and place.

NEOM is one of the most ambitious projects in modern history, not only because of its size or future vision, but because of the rigorous methodology the Kingdom followed in selecting its location. The scientific analysis of the steps preceding the announcement of NEOM’s location clearly shows that the choice was not random, but rather the result of a long series of in-depth studies involving global experts in geography, geology, economics, urban planning, and climate, which made this site a precisely calculated strategic choice, fundamentally different from global experiments that failed due to neglecting locational planning, as specialized studies in urban planning indicate (Hall, 2014; Lynch, 1981)..

Work on the NEOM site began with a large-scale geographical and geomorphological analysis, including field, aerial, and space surveys of the site, and detailed studies of terrain, geology, soil, and rock patterns. These studies focused on understanding the stability of tectonic plates in the region, and the project avoided any active fault lines, which is one of the most important conditions for building major cities and mega-projects as recommended by international guidelines for construction in sensitive environments (USGS, 2020). The nature of slopes, water drainage, and valleys were also analyzed, identifying the most suitable areas for developing underground infrastructure, which is a requirement of "The Line" project based on the concept of a linear city with integrated services.

Climatic studies included long-term monitoring of wind speed and direction, solar radiation, humidity, sea fog, and evaporation characteristics, in order to determine the site’s suitability for renewable energy sources. The results showed that the region has one of the highest rates of solar radiation in the world, in addition to stable winds that contribute to producing clean, low-cost energy, which aligns with the global trend toward carbon-neutral cities (IEA, 2022). Detailed studies were also conducted on biodiversity, sensitive environments, and wildlife habitats, leading to the development of environmental sensitivity maps prior to construction operations to ensure the sustainability of natural diversity. On the strategic side, the choice of location aligns with the Kingdom’s geographical position linking three continents, providing enormous trade opportunities, especially with the Red Sea, through which more than 13% of global trade passes (UNCTAD, 2021). This factor has enabled NEOM to become a global logistics hub, combining seaports, modern airports, and vital international roads, allowing for the development of advanced transport, green energy, and future industries, and their integration into a single economic system capable of international competition.

The studies did not overlook the economic aspects related to the site. Accurate analyses of the global market were conducted, identifying sectors in which NEOM can compete, such as biotechnology, robotics, the knowledge city, hydrogen energy, and attractive coastal tourism—sectors that require sites with specific environmental, marine, and geographical characteristics. The studies showed that the site is capable of creating an entirely new economic bloc outside the scope of traditional cities, a rare advantage noted in urban economics literature (Glaeser, 2011). From a planning perspective, the site was chosen because it allows for a redesign of the modern city concept, whether through the linear city concept in "The Line" project, or through new industrial models such as "OXAGON" or the mountain tourism destination "TROJENA". Spatial analyses have proven that the site’s terrain allows for the creation of an urban environment with a low carbon footprint and underground infrastructure, so that vehicles disappear entirely, achieving a "zero congestion, zero emissions, zero streets" model, a model never before applied on such a large urban scale.

Geographical References