In 2017, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman launched an ambitious $500 billion project to develop “Neom,” a futuristic “megacity” that would cover 10,230 square miles in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. Although the project has faced recent budget cuts and setbacks, it remains a major feature of Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” agenda to modernize its economy.
Saudi Arabia is not alone in its ambitions. Large-scale “smart city” projects have expanded across the globe—spreading across the Gulf, through the wider Middle East, and everywhere from India to Brazil. What’s more, many of these initiatives are…
