Neom The Next Adventure

Not heard of Neom yet? Get a sneak glimpse of Saudi Arabia’s brand-new region – created with adventurous travellers in mind……

One of the great joys of travel is being able to go somewhere that you previously couldn’t. We all want to break new ground, and when it comes to uncharted territory, Saudi Arabia tops plenty of travel lists.

Yet, since 2010 the country has largely been off-limits to UK travellers except for pilgrims on the Hajj or Umrah. It wasn’t that they couldn’t go, but visas were so hard to get as to be impossible. Now the rules are changing.

Late last year, 14-day visas coinciding with 2018’s Formula One event became available. Now plans to open up areas little-seen by visitors offer a way to discover some of the wildest mountains, desert and coast in the Middle East. At the centre of all this will be the sporting region of Neom.

LOOKING AHEAD

In the far north-west of Saudi Arabia lies Tabuk Province, a vast region bordering Jordan and gazing over the twinkling Gulf of Aqaba to Egypt. It’s a setting to whet the appetites of travellers: coral-fi lled waters, rust-red peaks, long stretches of white sand. Yet few make it this far. This is the virgin setting for a US$500 billion project that will see the creation of a brand-new region about the size of Belgium. Here, travellers will be able to explore natural wonders, visit historic sites and see some of the planet’s biggest sporting events. It goes by the name of Neom.