Latest news with #Trojena
Miami Herald
26-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
New Progress Report From World's Biggest Construction Project
Further progress has been announced at Saudi Arabia's vast Neom project with the completion of an underground tunnel to connect a ski resort in the desert at the world's largest construction site. Newsweek has reached out to the company for comment. The company's announcement signals continued progress at Saudi Arabia's Neom, despite reports of repeated budget overruns, delays, and a recent full review of project goals ordered by its new leadership. The outdoor ski resort-set in one of the world's hottest desert countries and due to rely largely on artificial snow-embodies the scale and ambition of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's megaproject, which is designed to help prepare the kingdom for a future beyond oil. Trojena has completed excavation of its B3 Tunnel, with a final blast breaking through the last section of rock to connect the 680-meter (2,200 feet) tunnel linking the Lake Access Road to the Vault, the company announced on LinkedIn. The Lake Access Road leads to the artificial lake at the center of the luxury tourist resort. Overlooking the site is the Vault, an architectural feature designed as a folded vertical village built into the mountainside. Perched on Saudi Arabia's Jebel al Lawz at over 8,500 feet, Trojena spans nearly 870 square miles, and features 18 miles of ski slopes, a dozen hotels, retail outlets and restaurants, and a massive man-made lake holding up to 15 billion gallons of water, according to Neom. Neom has recently appointed a new CEO in a push to fast-track flagship developments. Critics of the megaproject say that its sustainability claims amount to greenwashing-promoting an eco-friendly image while engaging in practices that harm the environment and violate human rights. Tomasso Ciancio, Construction Director at Webuild company, posted on Linkedin: "At Trojena, where every stone moved and every meter advanced reflects months of planning and sacrifice, I'm reminded daily why we push forward. Leadership in a place like this isn't just about progress-it's about resilience, belief, and the will to finish what we started. To everyone in this journey with me: thank you for waking up every day ready to build the impossible." Human Rights Watch in December 2024 report: "A worker who was employed as a supervisor in a NEOM project said, 'My job is to set targets for workers. Tasks must be completed within a fixed timeline, which puts undue pressure on workers.'" Saudi Arabia is racing to complete the ski resort ahead of the Asian Winter Games of 2029 which it is planning to host. Related Articles Will Saudi Arabia's Alcohol Ban be Lifted? Reports Prompt Flare-UpNew Boss Named for World's Biggest Construction ProjectSatellite Images Show Desert Ski Resort at World's Biggest Construction SiteSatellite Images Show Palace Emerging at World's Biggest Construction Site 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
News.com.au
25-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Insane look at world's first ‘vertical ski village' in Saudi Arabia
It's a stark, mountainous moonscape deep in the Saudi Arabian desert. But it is about to become the world's most exotic ski resort. All it takes to achieve this is money. Lots of it. The enormous Trojena mountain retreat sits 2500m high on Jebel al Lawz, a mountain in northwest Saudi Arabia. It's being touted as the world's first 'vertical ski village'. At its heart is 30km of artificial ski slopes winding above towering hotels, villas and shopping malls. And its artificial snow machines will be fed by an artificial lake containing 57 billion litres of water. The Trojena ski city is just one of six megaprojects that form Saudi Arabia's exceedingly ambitious NOEM future is the brainchild of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, also known as MBS. If completed, his bold vision would embed his initials alongside history's legendary builder kings, from Darius the Great and King Solomon to Emperor Hadrian and Pharaoh Seneferu. But his $14 trillion dream is in trouble. Discover life at new heightsâ€'at the Ski Village. Experience the joy of waking up above the clouds, surrounded by endless experiences at every level. This is mountain living, elevated in every sense. Welcome to a lifestyle where the sky is truly the limit. — TROJENA (@NEOMTROJENA) March 5, 2025 Critics claim as many as 21,000 workers have been killed since work began in 2017. And some $80 billion has already been sunk into the foundations of megastructures including the 170km long, 500m tall mirrored 'long-scraper' The Line. NEOM is believed to have depleted its cash reserves to about $24 billion. That may be why its longstanding Chief Executive Officer unexpectedly quit his role last year amid accusations of cost blowout cover-ups and cooked books. The Crown Prince has taken seven months to settle on a replacement. Head among the clouds The Crown Prince envisions a luxurious, ultra-modern, green-tech future built on the final decades of revenue from his nation's vast oil reserves. His idea is to entice big tech investors to set up shop in a dazzling showcase of their wares. And sky-high ski slopes are supposed to be a significant early selling point. 'It's integral because it exhibits an overall spectrum of what NEOM can offer – from the coastal beach developments and our car-free city, The Line, all the way to our automated port and the airport,' Trojena Executive Director Philip Gullett says in a website statement. From up there you can look over to the Gulf of Aqaba too. And over to Egypt as well as the whole NEOM region,' But time is running out. Saudi Arabia has signed up to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games. That puts a hard construction deadline of just four years for the resort's completion. Gullett told the Saudi Giga Projects Summit last week that work on his portion of the NEOM mega project was 'a military operation'. To nobody's surprise, he added the remote mountain location has posed a considerable challenge. Being in the middle of a desert also presents practical problems. 'Most of the snow in Trojena will be machine-made snow,' Trojena's senior development manager admits on Instagram. 'Over the past five winters, we've rigorously tested snow-making technologies and meticulously designed our future slopes to deliver unforgettable adventures with minimal environmental impact.' Money matters NEOM's interim CEO, Aiman Al-Mudaifer, has now been formally embedded in the role. He's been tasked with fast-tracking the completion of several key project components. 'Over the past months, Al-Mudaifer has remained focused on maintaining operational continuity, improving efficiencies and accelerating progress across NEOM's strategic projects and regions,' a NEOM press statement reads. But analysts suspect this will likely involve dramatic cutbacks. Amid labour and supply shortages, this will enable efforts to be focused on completing the first 2.5km segment of the 170km long The Line megastructure. This portion of the automated residential city will include a vast new stadium. And that must be finished by 2034 to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Mudaifer, a building engineer, previously headed Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund's real estate division. He has initiated an in-depth review of the NEOM project's goals, progress, and where new priorities should be placed. Predictions that the scheme will take another 50 years to complete have been criticised as overly optimistic. And its $14 trillion price tag – a figure NEOM executives fiercely dispute – is 25 greater than Saudi Arabia's annual gross domestic product (GDP). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned global oil prices must consistently remain above $US100 per barrel for the kingdom to afford its exploding debt. It currently stands at just above $US60. However, the Crown Prince is determined to drum up global excitement for his dream. US President Donald Trump viewed models of the kingdom's development plans on his recent visit to the Gulf region. US media reports Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has since signed several multi-billion dollar deals with US investors.
FACT
20-02-2025
- Business
- FACT
Megaproject update: Watch a new video of Trojena Ski Village in NEOM
Saudi Arabia and snow sound like they don't go together. The marvellous megaproject, Trojena Ski Village, is set to shift your expectations. Located in NEOM, the area is an all-year-round mountainous destination. The developers have dropped a new video of the site, and here's what to expect. Executive Director of Projects at Trojena, David McKenzie, has outlined the latest achievements and challenges. Trojena Ski Village is located at one of the highest points in Saudi Arabia, and the starting point for over 30 kilometres of ski slopes. This superstructure will rise vertically across 32 levels and will span twice the height of the world's tallest building when measured horizontally. Plus, it is set to host the Asian Winter Games 2029. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TROJENA (@discovertrojena) David explained: 'We are looking after this amazing project. Here we are at one of the amazing points in Saudi Arabia, and what an amazing site you can see. The Ski Village will be the central part of the skiing experience for the Asian Winter Games. The Ski Village itself will be an amazing place for people to come and experience something completely different – a first in the Kingdom.' 'We started this project 18 months ago and doing the excavation – here we are today. In the Ski Village itself, we have to deliver 18 Eiffel Towers over 18 months. That's 127,000 tonnes of steel. That's one of the largest steel projects ever completed in the world. For me personally, this is the most exciting project I've done in my live' Throughout the Trojena Ski Village video, shots of the development showcase what visitors can expect. It also shows the difficulties in the development, especially logistically, as there are only two roads leading to the top of the mountain. Trojena will span 1,400 kilometres of the mountain region. The area will welcome 11 hotels, 42,000 square metres of shopping and dining, and an amphitheatre that can welcome up to 3,000 people. Check in with FACT for the best things to do in Saudi Arabia. GO: Visit for more information.
