In the week that Fifa awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, a group of Bangladeshi workers went on strike over unpaid wages at a luxury resort in Neom. They were immediately fired.
By Sam Kunti and Andreas Selliaas
At the end of October, Neom trumpeted that Sindalah, a luxury resort, had opened. Tom Brady, the best quarter-back of all time with seven Super Bowls to his name, Will Smith, an award-winning Hollywood actor, and Yasir Al Rumayan, the omnipresent governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and chairman of Newcastle United, were among those to get a first glimpse of the luxury resort.
Much of Neom, the yet-to-built megaproject and host city of the 2034 World Cup, is a curtsy to luxury and Sindalah is no different. The resort claims to be ‘an escape like no other’ with yet-to-be-completed high-end hotels and fine-dining restaurants. The opening included a superyacht party.
Off the coast of the Arabian peninsula, Sindalah wants to become the gateway to the Red Sea and even rival the Caribbean. “It will be a destination where travellers can experience the true beauty of NEOM and Saudi Arabia, above and below the water, making Sindalah the future of luxury travel,” said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
Currently, Sindalah exemplifies the dichotomy of Neom: an ultra-luxury fantasy as the resort remains under development. Instagram posts and photos reveal little of how functional Sindalah island is at this stage. Marriott International and Four Seasons will offer rooms, but those can’t be booked yet. The fluffy promo video promises a marina, a pristine golf course and a bustling village that ‘ne...
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