Neom Wants 5 Million Tourists By 2030 - How Far Along Is it?

Executives at Saudi Arabia’s giga-project, Neom, have revealed updated timelines for the multi-billion-dollar development. Some milestones are near-term and well-defined, such as Trojena, which is set to welcome guests in two years. Others, like The Line, are more open-ended.

Neom is the flagship project of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, an initiative aimed at transforming the country’s economy. It comprises several zones: Magna, Oxagon, Sindalah, Trojena, and The Line, with the potential for more to come.

Comparable in size to a large U.S. state or small European country, and with an estimated budget exceeding $500 billion, Neom has faced skepticism since its 2017 unveiling. Reports of delays—often citing unnamed sources—have circulated frequently.

Neom recently released a series of video updates featuring department heads at last month’s World Economic Forum in Davos.

"In terms of the delivery of assets, we have some key assets coming down the road," said Neom’s head of tourism, Niall Gibbons, in one of the videos. "Trojena will host the Asia Winter Games in 2029 and open for business in 2027. Magna will be ready in a few years’ time. The Line—a multi-generational project—will take a little longer."

Though not mentioned by Gibbons, Sindalah opened last year.

Gibbons emphasized that the Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia will