Ryan Knutson

Tell people you're building a ski resort in Saudi Arabia, and the eyebrows go up pretty fast. But here was evidence that it could actually work.

It wouldn't come cheap, though. Remember, this is the desert. They'd need to bring in water for snowmaking. Andy also needed these very special and very expensive snowmaking machines designed to create snow in warmer temperatures.

It wouldn't come cheap, though. Remember, this is the desert. They'd need to bring in water for snowmaking. Andy also needed these very special and very expensive snowmaking machines designed to create snow in warmer temperatures.

It wouldn't come cheap, though. Remember, this is the desert. They'd need to bring in water for snowmaking. Andy also needed these very special and very expensive snowmaking machines designed to create snow in warmer temperatures.

So it was sort of like, this is wild, but it's possible.

So it was sort of like, this is wild, but it's possible.

So it was sort of like, this is wild, but it's possible.

Andy told us he liked this part of the job. He liked figuring out how to do the impossible, how to ski in the desert. And there were Andes and Tonys all across Neom, laying plans to suspend stadiums in the air, build green hydrogen plants, desalinate water, build skyscrapers the length of Connecticut. Neom's builders were dreaming big.

Andy told us he liked this part of the job. He liked figuring out how to do the impossible, how to ski in the desert. And there were Andes and Tonys all across Neom, laying plans to suspend stadiums in the air, build green hydrogen plants, desalinate water, build skyscrapers the length of Connecticut. Neom's builders were dreaming big.

Andy told us he liked this part of the job. He liked figuring out how to do the impossible, how to ski in the desert. And there were Andes and Tonys all across Neom, laying plans to suspend stadiums in the air, build green hydrogen plants, desalinate water, build skyscrapers the length of Connecticut. Neom's builders were dreaming big.

But standing in between them and execution were massive challenges, like runaway spending.

But standing in between them and execution were massive challenges, like runaway spending.

But standing in between them and execution were massive challenges, like runaway spending.

And the growing realization that all of this might be too expensive for even Saudi Arabia to afford. How would you describe the moment that we're in right now in the Neom story?

And the growing realization that all of this might be too expensive for even Saudi Arabia to afford. How would you describe the moment that we're in right now in the Neom story?

And the growing realization that all of this might be too expensive for even Saudi Arabia to afford. How would you describe the moment that we're in right now in the Neom story?

That's coming up in part two of our Neom podcast, Coming Tomorrow. Before we go, I just want to say that these two Neom episodes will be my last for a while. I'm going out on paternity leave through the summer, but I'll be back on the show in the fall. That's all for today, Friday, April 25th. This episode was produced by Annie Minoff and edited by Catherine Brewer.

That's coming up in part two of our Neom podcast, Coming Tomorrow. Before we go, I just want to say that these two Neom episodes will be my last for a while. I'm going out on paternity leave through the summer, but I'll be back on the show in the fall. That's all for today, Friday, April 25th. This episode was produced by Annie Minoff and edited by Catherine Brewer.

That's coming up in part two of our Neom podcast, Coming Tomorrow. Before we go, I just want to say that these two Neom episodes will be my last for a while. I'm going out on paternity leave through the summer, but I'll be back on the show in the fall. That's all for today, Friday, April 25th. This episode was produced by Annie Minoff and edited by Catherine Brewer.

Additional reporting in this episode by Stephen Kalin, Summer Saeed, and Justin Scheck. Fact-checking by Kate Gallagher. The theme remix in today's episode is by Griffin Tanner. The Journal is a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal. The show is made by With help from Trina Menino. Our engineers are Griffin Tanner, Nathan Singapak, and Peter Leonard. Our theme music is by So Wiley.