The City of Neom; Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s science fiction planning proposal

https://futurism.com/saudi-city-neom-human-gene-editing-artificial-rain

A quick summary for those who don’t like links:

Location: In the currently barren north-western corner of Saudi Arabia.

Budget: $500 billion.

What makes it futuristic?

Cloud-seeding for artificial rain to cool the city.

A fake moon.

Flying taxis.

Robot dinosaurs.

Human gene editing clinics.

World-class schools with hologram teachers.

The planet’s best-paying jobs.

Robot servants.

More Michelin-starred restaurants per capital than anywhere on Earth.

Glow in the dark sand.

Constant auto-surveillance, with terminals reporting crimes so witnesses don’t need to.

Whatever could go wrong?

Constant auto-surveillance, so the state knows where everyone is, always.

Drones with facial-recognition technology.

The forcible relocation of local tribes.

Foreigners generally aren’t permitted to travel across or into the heart of Saudi Arabia.