Promo for Planned Saudi Mega City Depicts a Life for Women at Odds With Kingdom's Restrictive Norms

A publicity video for Neom, a several-hundred-billion-dollar proposed Saudi Arabian development announced on October 24, depicts a lifestyle for women greatly at odds with that pertaining in the kingdom today.

The Neom proposal was announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who vowed to return Saudi Arabia to “moderate Islam” in an interview with the Guardian to coincide with the launch.

The crown prince said the development would have no room “for anything traditional.”

In contrast to the constrained life of women in Saudi Arabia presently, the video depicts women in a number of professional roles, wearing western clothing, practising yoga, running in public parks, and travelling in a car with their hair down.

In September, Saudi Arabia announced that women would be allowed to drive, overturning a previous ban. Credit: Discover Neom via Storyful