The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman has introduced TROJENA, a new global objective for mountain tourism.
This unlikely plan to develop the tourism sector will be part of Neom, a new contemporary city in the country. $500 billion (about R7,6 trillion) has been invested into the city so far which comprises a total of 26 500 square kilometres in the north-western part of Saudi Arabia including parts of Jordan and Egypt. The project is due to be complete by 2026.
In a press release, bin Salman announced ‘The Line’, a blueprint that allows humans to coexist in harmony with the planet while still being in an urban setting. The Line, a 170km belt of ‘hyper-connected future communities’ is a cornerstone of the Saudi Vision 2030. They are hoping to build a community around nature without cars and roads to combat some of the world’s biggest challenges like pollution and human congestion. The solution to this will be autonomous transport.
Picture: Flickr commons / Barney Moss
TROJENA is being created with the goal to add tourism to the region, an example of how Saudi Arabia is using the country’s geographical and environmental diversity to its advantage. It will be situated in the centre of Neom about 50 kilometres away from the Gulf of Aqaba coast. This region is about 2 600 meters above sea level and has some of the highest peaks in Saudi Arabia. Temperatures drop below zero in winter and the region is ten degrees colder than surrounding areas.
As reported by LATTE, some key elements of the destination will include a freshwater man-made lake, ‘The Bow’ hotel and a vertical village to be created within the mountain called ‘The Vault’. The new tourist destination will also have a ski village, luxury family and wellness resorts, and plenty of restaurants and retail stores.
Mohammed bin Salman says: ‘TROJENA will redefine mountain tourism for the world by creating a place based on the principles of ecotourism. It also confirms our commitment to being part of the global effort to protect the environment.’
The prince continues, ‘This forward-looking vision will ensure that mountain tourism will be another revenue stream to support the economic diversification while still preserving its natural resources for future generations.’
A new and unique type of architecture is going to be used to ensure that the charming landscapes of Neom mountains ‘coexist in harmony with the tourist sites developed within them.’ This is expected to be a new and extraordinary experience for tourists.
One of the features of TROJENA will be outdoor skiing which is an activity never witnessed in the region before. Especially since the Gulf countries are known for their desert climates. There are also plans to introduce water sports, mountain biking and an interactive nature reserve.
There will be different ski runs with varying difficulties designed for both amateurs and professionals.
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