Bankers Fly in to Take Stock of MBS’s Desert Dream

Over the next few days, private jets will ferry financiers to the site of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s $1.5 trillion desert dream — the futuristic city of Neom. The event is part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to drum up interest in the project, unveiled seven years ago as the centerpiece of a massive rejig of the oil-dependent economy.

The name of the project comes from “neo,” meaning new, and “m,” the first letter of mustaqbal, Arabic for future. Renderings have included a car-free linear city, an industrial development that floats on the Red Sea and a mountain ski resort with an artificial lake.