Brightest minds develop world-class aviation infrastructure in NEOM

The giga-project will feature the latest innovations in urban design, mobility and sustainability

John Selden is the CEO of NEOM Airport and Airline. Before taking over his current position, Selden was the general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Selden visited Saudi Arabia in December 2019, led by the US-Saudi Business Council, along with his counterparts from Dallas and Seattle to attend seminars on airport management and construction.

To achieve his goal of developing a world-class aviation infrastructure, he has recruited the brightest minds from all over the world.

Selden joined Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in October 2018 after a stint as deputy general manager at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. He has over 30 years of aviation experience, including serving as a navy commander and a commercial pilot.

Once up and running, NEOM will feature the latest innovations in urban design, mobility and sustainability. The giga-project aims to become the technology hub of the Kingdom and a textbook case study for smart-city development and innovation.

The future city is a crucial modernization project driven by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It will embody an international ethos and embrace a culture of exploration, risk-taking, and diversity — all supported by a progressive law compatible with international norms and conducive to economic development and growth.

The new net-zero megacity on the Kingdom’s northwest Red Sea coast will cover 10,000 square miles, an area 33 times the size of New York, and will be powered entirely by clean energy.

The futuristic car-free region will be run by advanced technologies such as human-machine fusion, artificial and predictive intelligence, and robotics. More than 1 million people will live in the area that will also host sporting, cultural, scientific and tourist attractions.

The NEOM company says the megacity will also seek outside investors for the project, which is projected to contribute $48 billion to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product by 2030.

One of the two key projects that were announced last year is THE LINE, a 105-mile long green city, which will have its own schools, clinics, leisure facilities, and open spaces within a five-minute walk.

The project is expected to create 380,000 jobs and to contribute SR180 billion to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product by 2030.

The other key announcement this year was the launch of the OXAGON, an eight-sided city that will be an industrial district and port.