Skift Take
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is already promising $500 billion cities, winter sports events atop mountains in the desert and a complete transformation of the national economy. Not ambitious enough, says the crown prince, let's work on Vision 2040.
The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, referred to as "MBS" by the media, won't slow down his spending to reshape his kingdom and boost tourism. His immense projects have been met with scrutiny overseas, but in the future, he wants to develop nearly 600 islands along the coast, according to his interview on Wednesday with Fox News, his first fully in English.
“We have 22 islands under construction, with more to be announced. Next year, five islands will be open. In total in Red Sea, we have 1,150 islands, we aim to develop 50% of that,” he said.
The 38-year-old de facto ruler shared plans while touring around the Sindalah construction site. One of four "zones" of the $500 billion NEOM city, Sindalah is set to be the first to open next year.
Sindalah will be a luxury hub of the kingdom with cruises and yachting. The 840,000 square mile island will boast 38 restaurants and a selection of expensive hotels, in