🎥 Watch: There's No Place Like NEOM

Coach's Corner: GSV Founder & CEO Michael Moe on how Saudi Arabia's economic incentives may shape its response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Human history began in the Middle East…hopefully it won’t end there.

It was no coincidence Hamas, Iran and Co. staged their assault when they did. After the game-changing Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, there was a pathway formed towards normalized relations with a number of Gulf States, with Saudi Arabia at the top of the list.

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, MBS, has spent the past 6 years on a $500 billion development project called NEOM.

The site covers an area of more than 10,000 square miles (about the size of Massachusetts), and enjoys a strategic location within a 6-hour flight for 40% of the world's population. Clearly a response to the success of Dubai as a “hub” for commerce, innovation and entertainment, NEOM has the leadership, blank canvas, and ambition to be a game-changer.

It’s important to note that while NEOM is 1,000 kilometers from Riyadh, it’s just 100 kilometers from Israel.

We'll be watching closely, but given the enormous progress Saudi Arabia has made to advance its society and its opportunity to be the center of the World of the 21st century, we have hope that the combination of the Invisible Hand and the Iron Fist will come together to bring peace and prosperity to the Middle East. 

Click below to read this week’s full piece: EIEIO...There’s No Place Like NEOM