Neom to "start affecting the local weather and climate" warns climate scientist

Neom climate advisor Donald Wuebbles has warned that The Line city in Saudi Arabia could alter local weather patterns.

Speaking to newspaper Financial Times, Wuebbles explained how he had informed Neom that the scale of the development means it may impact weather patterns and the path of sand storms.

"Part of my concern was, what impact is The Line and those [projects] going to have on the local environment...you start affecting the local weather and climate," he said.

"Repeatedly raised the question"

Wuebbles is a professor in the department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois and an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's reports.

According to the Financial Times, as a paid advisor to Neom, he "repeatedly raised the question of how the project's linear city, ski fields and islands could change their local environments and weather systems".

Neom was approached for comment, but did not reply. A representative told the Financial Times that the development aimed to have a lower environmental impact "compared to traditional construction projects".

Experts raised concerns about the city's impact

Currently under construction in the north west of Saudi Arabia, the Neon development will include a 170-kilometre-long city named The Line, a ski resort named Trojena and numerous resorts built along the Red Sea coast.

The development is one of the largest in the world and its scale, especially of The Line, has raised concerns over sustainability and environmental impact.

Back in 2022, experts raised concerns about the impact that the proposed city would have on its desert climate, in a feature on Dezeen.

Experts have also questioned the impact the structure would have on wildlife, with the Trends in Evolution & Ecology journal listing the city as one of 15 key issues of concern for global biodiversity in 2024.

"It is likely to pose a substantial risk to migratory species, particularly passerine birds," said the report.

According to Wuebbles, Neom's sustainability advisory committee was told that the environmental concerns were now a "higher priority".

Neom is one of the world's most controversial developments. Along with the environmental concerns, the project has been widely criticised on human-rights grounds.

Last year, we asked if it was time for architecture studios to walk away from the project in the face of mounting pressure from campaigners and at the end of the year, Neom's CEO Nadhmi al-Nasr left the project amid reports of financial issues and migrant worker fatalities.

Neom is one of 14 gigaprojects being developed in Saudi Arabia as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan to shift the country's economy away from a reliance on oil.

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