Riyadh – Mubasher: The founding board of NEOM on Wednesday approved the master plan for developing the first urban area in the NEOM megaproject.  

The construction work for the first phase NEOM Bay will begin in the first quarter of 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2020, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Several key facilities are expected to be inaugurated by the end of this year including the upgrade of the current NEOM airport, which would make it a commercial airport that can operate regular flights.

Innovation centres will foster the knowledge-based economy in several sectors, such as media and health, while creative centres will support art to create a special identity for NEOM, the project’s CEO Nadhmi Al Nasr stated.