Saudi Gazette report

TABUK — The NEOM region has received the first female tourist delegation, which consists of more than 20 women, who came from various regions of the Kingdom.

During the trip that started from Tabuk, tourists were introduced to the environmental and archaeological sites of NEOM in a 19-hour exciting journey.

The group passed through Al-Bida’a governorate and then went to Maghair Shuaib, through Markaz Mekhna and Ain Musa archaeological site, reaching Al-Tayyib Isem, and then back to Raas Al-Sheikh, Di Homaid and from there to Tabuk.

Hiba Al-Ayidi, the tourist guide, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that this was the first female tourist delegation to arrive in the region of Tabuk.

“Two tour guides from Tabuk region have already made arrangements, in cooperation with the concerned sectors, to make investments in the region by tapping the huge tourist potential of the region, which houses several historical sites and monuments.

“This also aims at creating a development boom in the flourishing tourism sector in the region with expanding access to the region’s distinctive tourist locations and monuments,” Al-Aiyidi added.

Al-Ayidi said that these trips, titled “Explore NEOM,” are aimed at promoting tourism in Tabuk region by introducing the landmarks of the region to Saudi and other tourists.

NEOM is one of the most promising and cross-border projects, adjacent to three important countries on the Gulf of Aqaba — Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.

The megacity aims to be a global hub for trade, innovation and knowledge by offering unique opportunities and advantages to leading investors and business owners worldwide.

Hoping to diversify the Saudi economy, NEOM plans to develop nine economic sectors, including energy and water, advanced manufacturing, and technological and digital sciences.

NEOM City will span 26,500 square kilometers with a coastline that extends to 486 kilometers along the coast of the Red Sea. Assigned an estimated budget of more than $500 billion, the megacity project comes as the first step of the Kingdom towards the post-oil era.

The city comes as an integral part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a 15-year plan conceptualized by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman that aims at developing several industries and economic sectors in the country to shift the sustainability of the Saudi Arabian economy away from the energy and petroleum sector.

The first phase of the giant project is expected to be finished by the year 2025. The city will serve as a hub for the entire world and an attraction point for the world’s best minds and talents.