Future Tense A tale of two futuristic cities
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Nov 27, 2025 Andrew Stokols, an Assistant Professor of Urban Studies, shares insights on the political experiment of Xiong'an, emphasizing its role in Xi Jinping's vision. Eliot Brown, a Wall Street Journal reporter, highlights Neom's ambitious plans and the daunting financial challenges it faces, including cost overruns and limited public response. Dr. Nicholas Wright, a neuroscientist, discusses how understanding brain mechanisms can prevent conflicts, advocating for self-awareness in leadership and military practices to enhance decision-making and cooperation.
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NEOM's Grand Sci‑Fi Ambition
- NEOM aimed to be a hyper-modern, international magnet with radical concepts like a 160km 'Line' and car-free living.
- Much of the ambition relied on futuristic tech and architecture promoted by top leadership as a civilisational leap.
Internal Audit Exposes Cost Manipulation
- Internal audits and reporting uncovered financial manipulation and creative accounting within NEOM to justify unrealistic plans.
- Eliot Brown describes a 'dance of mutual delusion' between the crown prince's vision and executives masking true costs.
Lots Of Construction, Little City Yet
- Despite heavy construction spending, NEOM currently has little operational urban fabric to show and remains largely uninhabited.
- Visible work includes trenches, foundations and a closed island resort, but not functioning city neighborhoods.
