Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Saudi Arabia to build eight-sided city that floats on water

Saudi Arabia to build eight-sided city that floats on water

Crown prince announces 'Oxagon', a utopian project which claims to be the 'world's largest floating structure'

Saudi Arabia has launched its latest in a long list of grandiose projects: an octagonal industrial city floating on the Red Sea.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, on Tuesday announced the launch of "Oxagon", touted to be the "world's largest floating structure".

It will be built in the southwestern area of Neom, the futuristic new megacity which Saudi authorities claim will be 33 times the size of New York City. Half of Oxagon will float on the Red Sea, which on average is 500 metres deep.

"Oxagon will be the catalyst for economic growth and diversity in Neom and the kingdom, further meeting our ambitions under Vision 2030," the crown prince said in a statement, referencing the country's diversification strategy to move away from oil reliance.

"[It] will contribute to redefining the world's approach to industrial development in the future, protecting the environment while creating jobs and growth."

According to a press release, the city will be powered solely by renewable energy and will utilise the Internet of Things, artificial and predictive intelligence and robotics to create “a seamless integrated, intelligent and efficient supply chain”.

Rhetoric-filled promotional video


The project was launched with a two-minute promotional video filled with platitudes and vague ideas.

"Imagine a place that provides everything your business needs to break boundaries," the video begins. "A curated landscape of advanced industry that closes the loop and drives circularity."


The marketing clip posits that Oxagon "will bring the brightest minds together to solve the world's greatest challenges" and would boast "unrivalled livability".

Why the brightest minds would need to live in an eight-sided city, half of which would be floating on water, in order to solve the earth's greatest challenges, was made less clear.

Not settling for just being the world's largest floating structure, the clip also stressed that the utopian city would be "home to the world's first fully automated port and integrated logistics hub".

No details have yet been released about the cost of the project or how it would be built in order to float on water. According to Neom's website, the city expects its first residents in 2024 and aims to complete all onshore developments by 2030.

'Pie in the sky' project


The project has been met by ridicule and raised eyebrows among commentators and social media users.

"Congratulations to whichever consulting firm got paid a large sum of money to come up with this pie-in-the-sky idea," wrote journalist Gregg Carlstrom.


"Why am I working in a university when I could be spending my days designing fantasy cities for the Saudi crown prince," said Middle East academic Christian Henderson.

This is by no means the first time Saudi Arabia has launched an ambitious project filled with superlatives and world-firsts.

This week, MBS launched "the world’s first non-profit city", which he named after himself. Earlier this year, he also announced a plan to construct a zero-carbon city built in a 170km straight line, as the first major construction for Neom.

Documents previously revealed that the megacity would feature flying taxis, fighting robots and animatronic dinosaurs.

Activist raises doubts


While the crown prince has consistently unveiled increasingly elaborate and futuristic projects, it remains to be seen whether any of these grand ambitions will ever come to fruition.

In May, a report by the Wall Street Journal claimed that there had been an exodus of Neom's staff, struggling under the sheer scale of the ideas.

Urban planners offered the crown prince a simpler plan for a zero-carbon city, but the de-facto leader reportedly retorted: “I want to build my pyramids.”

"Oxagon, just like all the projects before, like The Line, will never happen. Bin Salman fails at one project, and then he starts another to cover his crimes and failures," London-based Saudi activist Alya al-Huwaiti told Middle East Eye.

Huwaiti is a dissident member of the Howeitat tribe, who have lived in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk province for centuries but are now being expelled from their homes to make way for the megacity.

Last year, tribal activist Abdulrahim al-Howeiti was shot dead shortly after making videos protesting against his eviction.

"How can Mohammed bin Salman pretend that he cares about zero carbon when he doesn't care about his own people? How can they kill Abdulrahim and say they care about the environment?" Huwaiti said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×