Ryan Knutson

Nodmy had presided over years of ballooning costs, staff churn and push deadlines. The dance of delusion had thrived on his watch. But when the time came to deliver, the music stopped, and Nodmy, the man who once declared that he drives people like slaves, was out. There are many stories of visionary CEOs who drive their employees incredibly hard and get miracles out of them.

So why don't you think it worked for Nodmi?

So why don't you think it worked for Nodmi?

So why don't you think it worked for Nodmi?

Since Nadmi's departure, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, has taken more direct control of Neom, and they're finally coming to grips with the project's true cost.

Since Nadmi's departure, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, has taken more direct control of Neom, and they're finally coming to grips with the project's true cost.

Since Nadmi's departure, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, has taken more direct control of Neom, and they're finally coming to grips with the project's true cost.

Eight trillion dollars. I mean, I feel like I already know the answer to this question, but can Saudi Arabia afford that?

Eight trillion dollars. I mean, I feel like I already know the answer to this question, but can Saudi Arabia afford that?

Eight trillion dollars. I mean, I feel like I already know the answer to this question, but can Saudi Arabia afford that?

Not even close. A NEOM spokeswoman said the journal was incorrectly interpreting the numbers in that presentation. As for NEOM's progress, she said, quote, In some ways, MBS in Saudi Arabia may not need NEOM anymore. Remember that when MBS first came to power, he enacted a bunch of social reforms. And Rory says they've had a huge impact.

Not even close. A NEOM spokeswoman said the journal was incorrectly interpreting the numbers in that presentation. As for NEOM's progress, she said, quote, In some ways, MBS in Saudi Arabia may not need NEOM anymore. Remember that when MBS first came to power, he enacted a bunch of social reforms. And Rory says they've had a huge impact.

Not even close. A NEOM spokeswoman said the journal was incorrectly interpreting the numbers in that presentation. As for NEOM's progress, she said, quote, In some ways, MBS in Saudi Arabia may not need NEOM anymore. Remember that when MBS first came to power, he enacted a bunch of social reforms. And Rory says they've had a huge impact.

Saudi Arabia now has an entertainment sector and a tourism industry. Most importantly, it's less dependent on oil. In 2023, for the first time, 50% of Saudi Arabia's real GDP came from sources other than oil. It's sort of like as MBS was trying to build Neom, this new place where anything was possible, the rest of Saudi Arabia has actually become more like Neom, the place that he was dreaming of.

Saudi Arabia now has an entertainment sector and a tourism industry. Most importantly, it's less dependent on oil. In 2023, for the first time, 50% of Saudi Arabia's real GDP came from sources other than oil. It's sort of like as MBS was trying to build Neom, this new place where anything was possible, the rest of Saudi Arabia has actually become more like Neom, the place that he was dreaming of.

Saudi Arabia now has an entertainment sector and a tourism industry. Most importantly, it's less dependent on oil. In 2023, for the first time, 50% of Saudi Arabia's real GDP came from sources other than oil. It's sort of like as MBS was trying to build Neom, this new place where anything was possible, the rest of Saudi Arabia has actually become more like Neom, the place that he was dreaming of.

What do you think it'll become?

What do you think it'll become?

What do you think it'll become?

Meanwhile, construction on Neom continues. Head over to Google Maps and click toward the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia, and you'll see it, an over 60-mile-long gash cutting through the desert. It's a trench marking the future path of the line. The current plan is for Neom to finish the first mile and a half of the line in the next 10 years or so.