Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Once upon a time, autocratic rulers left behind visible echoes of their power in the form of vast megaprojects — palaces, dams, and entire cities carved into deserts and mountains across the Middle East. Today, however, their modern equivalents are increasingly built not only from concrete and steel, but also from digital renderings, presentations, and promotional videos, AzerNEWS reports, citing BBC.

One of the most prominent examples is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, widely known as MBS. Under his leadership, the country launched an ambitious transformation program called Vision 2030 — a sweeping plan designed to reduce dependence on oil and turn the kingdom into a global hub for technology, tourism, and investment.

At the heart of this vision is NEOM, a futuristic mega-region that promises “cities without cars,” vertical communities, and fully automated infrastructure. In its early promotional material, NEOM looked like pure science fiction brought to life: mirror-walled linear cities stretching across the desert, smart mountain resorts, and AI-driven industrial zones.

Yet years later, reality has proven more complicated than the original vision. Rising costs, fluctuations in oil prices, and regional instability have made such large-scale ambitions harder to sustain. Foreign investment has been slower than expected, and some parts of the project have been redesigned or delayed.

Still, NEOM has already taken on a life of its own as a symbol. Even if not all of its original concepts are fully realized, it has reshaped how Saudi Arabia presents itself to the world — as a country not only building infrastructure, but also manufacturing visions of the future in digital form long before they exist in physical reality.