Saudi Arabia‘s $500 billion giga-project Neom has unveiled Epicon, a luxury coastal tourism destination on the Gulf of Aqaba.
As per a press release, Epicon rises from Neom’s desert landscape “like a glistening mirage” and features two towers – one standing at 225 metres tall and the other at 275 metres tall.
These towers will be home to a premium 41-key hotel and 14 luxury suites and apartments. A short distance from the hotel is the Epicon resort, which features 120 rooms and 45 residential beach villas.
Epicon is designed “as a gateway to the future”, Neom said. It includes a beach club, spa, water sports experiences, and destination restaurants.
The luxury residences and beach villas at Epicon will offer cutting-edge innovations, and amenities such as a state-of-the-art gym, a library, and pools and lounges.
Neom’s Epicon news comes after the recent announcement of Leyja, the site’s sustainable tourism destination within a natural valley.
Zaha Hadid Architects has also unveiled a 330-metre-tall skyscraper for the Trojena ski resort at Neom. The tower will offer observation decks and restaurants, as well as technology-driven art experiences.
In addition to Epicon, Leyja and Trojena, Neom includes a luxury island called Sindalah, a zero-carbon city with “vertically layered” buildings named The Line, and the Oxagon floating port city.
$500bn giga-project in the desert
Saudi officials have described Neom as “the world’s most ambitious project”. They expect to welcome around one million visitors by 2025 and five million by 2030.
Neom’s CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr previously said the initiative is “addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity by bringing together a community of the brightest minds committed to reimagining what a sustainable future will look like in 20 to 30 years, and building it today”.
Saudi Arabia is developing many entertainment experiences and giga-projects to diversify the economy and reduce its reliance on oil.
Images courtesy of Neom
