Heavyweight, high-power professionals nominated constitute a rich, diverse mix
Saudi Arabia’s $500-billion futuristic city, Neom, has constituted its global advisory board comprising experts from several major sectors including urban planning, architecture, design, technology, sustainability, energy and manufacturing.
The destination for the future of living being developed in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, Neom said these members will provide industry insight and advise on key milestones besides forging strategic connections for the kingdom’s ambitious project.
The members include Sam Altman, President of YC Group and Co-chairman of Open AI; Lord Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners; Peter R Voser, Chairman of ABB Group; Masayoshi Son, the Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corporation; Marc Andreessen, the Co-founder and General Partner of Andreessen Horowitz; Tim Brown, the CE and President of Ideo, Timothy Collins, founder and CEO of Ripplewood Advisors; Alexandra Cousteau, Senior Adviser to Oceana; Dan Doctoroff, Founder and CEO of Sidewalk Labs; Jean Fréchet, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry; Travis Kalanick, CEO of City Storage Systems; Neelie Kroes, former VP of the European Commission.
The board also boasts high-profile members such as Andrew Liveris, former Chairman and CEO of Dow Chemicals and Executive Chairman, DowDuPont; Ernest J Moniz, President and CEO of the Energy Futures Initiative; Marc Raibert, Founder and CEO of Boston Dynamics; Carlo Ratti, Professor of Urban Technologies and Planning Director at MIT’s Senseable City Lab; John Rossant, Founder and Chairman at the NewCities Foundation and Rob Speyer, President and CEO of Tishman Speyer.
“The new Board will help shape Neom’s future through its detailed knowledge and connections with potential long-term strategic partners,” noted Nadhmi Al Nasr, CEO, Neom.
Neom has announced that several more industry experts are likely to join the advisory board in the coming months.
The Saudi futuristic city’s emphasis on sustainability and innovation makes it a core pillar of Vision 2030, the kingdom’s ambitious blueprint to diversify its economy and enable wider societal transformation.
Neom forms part of the Saudi giga-projects investment pool for the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. The giga-projects are integrated economic ecosystems that will support the economic transformation of the Kingdom and act as a catalyst for investment across various sectors, and in addition to Neom include The Red Sea Project, and Qiddiya.
