Saudi Arabia To Create £400bn ‘Western' City

New state ‘Neom’ to attract sporting events, to be made near the Red Sea

SAUDI Arabia are planning to create a new cross-border city state governed by western, rather than Islamic, law as part of its long-term strategy to become a global centre for world class sporting events.

Sportsmail has learned that a key element of the kingdom's Vision 2030 is the introduction of western laws in the new city of Neom, a £400billion project in the north west near the Red Sea.

It should help them win the right to stage more global events such as Saturday's £66million world heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jnr in Riyadh.

The Saudi government are understood to have recruited numerous public affairs experts from all over the world, including several from Britain, to advise on a project that was first launched by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman two years ago.

The new city would operate independently from the rest of the country, with different laws for workers and women's rights, as well as giving more freedom to visitors such as the right to drink alcohol, which boxing fans are denied this weekend.