Saudi Arabia planning to build ski resort in middle of desert. Here's how it willl look

It will be part of a $500 billion city-state called NEOM, which is a combination of the Greek word for new, “neo,” and the Arabic word “mustaqbal,” or “future”. It will be spread out across 10,000 square miles of the Saudi province of Tabuk in the northwestern part of the country.

In NEOM, luxury island destination Sindalah will be launched for tourism, Trojena will be a mountain destination, THE LINE will be the flagship city, and Oxagon will be a gateway for clean industries.

With sustainable tourism in mind, Trojena’s builders claim they are focusing on minimising water use and maximising water recovery when making snow.

Even as winter offers the chance to ski down Trojena’s 36 kilometres of slopes, Saudi builders are also planning for making man-made lakes where all kinds of water sports can be hosted during the rest of the year.

There are also plans to built “Slope Residences” — luxury mansions that will overlook the artificial lake and its surroundings. The project is expected to draw around 700,000 visitors and 7,000 permanent residents by 2030. It is scheduled to be completed by 2026.

According to a press release, Trojena expects to attract 700,000 visitors and 7,000 permanent residents by 2030. It was also claimed that the project would create 10,000 jobs and add 3bn riyals ($800m) to the Saudi economy.

The NEOM website said the man-made village will include “bespoke experiences where reality and imagination are combined.”