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By Amira El-Fekki
Middle East News Reporter
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Further progress has been announced at Saudi Arabia's vast Neom project with the completion of an underground tunnel to connect a ski resort in the desert at the world's largest construction site.
Newsweek has reached out to the company for comment.
Why It Matters
The company's announcement signals continued progress at Saudi Arabia's Neom, despite reports of repeated budget overruns, delays and a recent full review of project goals ordered by its new leadership.
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The ski resort—set in one of the world's hottest desert countries and expected to rely largely on artificial snow—embodies the scale and ambition of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's megaproject, which is designed to help prepare the kingdom for a future beyond oil.
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What To Know
Trojena has completed excavation of its B3 Tunnel, with a final blast breaking through the last section of rock to connect the 680-meter (2,200 feet) tunnel linking the Lake Access Road to the Vault, the company announced on LinkedIn.
The Lake Access Road leads to the artificial lake at the center of the luxury tourist resort. Overlooking the site is the Vault, an architectural feature designed as a folded vertical village built into the mountainside.
Perched on Saudi Arabia's Jebel al Lawz at more than 8,500 feet, Trojena covers nearly 870 square miles and features 18 miles of ski slopes, a dozen hotels, retail outlets and restaurants and a massive man-made lake holding up to 15 billion gallons of water, according to Neom.
Neom has recently appointed a new CEO in a push to fast-track flagship developments. Critics of the megaproject say that its sustainability claims amount to greenwashing—promoting an eco-friendly image while engaging in practices that harm the environment and violate human rights.
What People Are Saying
Tomasso Ciancio, construction director at Webuild, posted on LinkedIn: "At Trojena, where every stone moved and every meter advanced reflects months of planning and sacrifice, I'm reminded daily why we push forward. Leadership in a place like this isn't just about progress—it's about resilience, belief, and the will to finish what we started. To everyone in this journey with me: thank you for waking up every day ready to build the impossible."
Human Rights Watch, in December 2024 report: "A worker who was employed as a supervisor in a NEOM project said, 'My job is to set targets for workers. Tasks must be completed within a fixed timeline, which puts undue pressure on workers.'"
What Happens Next
Saudi Arabia is racing to complete the ski resort ahead of the Asian Winter Games of 2029, which it is planning to host.
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