VIDEO: Why Saudi Arabia is Building a $1 Trillion City in the Desert
Added 2024-12-18 13:01:02 +0000 UTCHey friends -
We’re very excited to share this documentary with you all — we’ve been working on it for months. The story of the Bedouin is really interesting and worth learning about, and we hope you find it just as compelling as we did.
Even more exciting - we also did a collab with Christophe Haubursin on a Tunnel Vision episode about how Saudi Arabia is turning its deserts into massive farms. Make sure to check it out as well!
Hope you enjoy our final video of 2024 - we look forward to sharing more videos with you in 2025.
Stay safe, and happy holidays.
~Johnny & the whole team
Comments
Mind-blowing! I could be happy in their desert by the Red Sea. They take great care of the sea, as if it was a living being in need of protection. I've lived in the Great Sonoran Desert in Arizona and in Mexico by the Sea of Cortez for 67 of my 75 years. I was unaware of the city being built but am familiar with what they're doing in parts of the US. In CA and AZ they purchased the irrigatable farm land on both sides of the Colorado River where they grow alfalfa, getting 6-8 cuttings year round. They've openly reported that it is cheaper to buy land, irrigate it for hay, and ship it to Saudi than it is to grow it there. Also, they've bought property, including resorts, on every coastline in the country. In addition, in just the last 3 yrs they've bought hundreds of mobile home & RV parks in CA and AZ, paying many times the value for places that aren't for sale. I lived in one being offered for sale at 300,000 but they paid 2.9M. It's weird.
Lynne Bennett
2025-01-20 03:16:31 +0000 UTCJohnny!! Holy shit. This video is incredible. Obsessed with all the perspectives you presented and all the stunning visuals. Also, the sound design was insane, huge fan over here. Loved seeing you back in the field :')
Maya Fawaz
2025-01-02 20:11:22 +0000 UTCSo you decided not to be a journalist anymore. I'd appreciate a heads-up, but that's fine too.
Anton Stupnev
2024-12-27 09:25:35 +0000 UTCBuddy either I’m stupid like really stupid or I just can’t figure out how to give you some money for what you’re doing. I love your shows. I watch them all the time and I will figure out how to send you some money. Just give me a couple days Dan scholze@gmail.com
Dan Scholze
2024-12-24 18:08:02 +0000 UTCI just watched it in the middle of my MBA prep. I have been waiting for your video on this topic for a long time. This has to be by far one of the best videos of yours, you really gave a glimpse of “DUNE” at the start of the video. Thanks for providing a new perspective on this issue, by going up there and finding out the story from both sides which has been lacking in several videos on this topic. These types of on-ground coverage videos take back to border days.
Yash vardhan Choudhary
2024-12-23 20:17:14 +0000 UTCbeautiful. the moment when you discussed “not pressing any further” for answers from the bedouin. There are different ways of knowing and sometimes we just know. Very respectful and the right choice imo. What a beautiful video and culture.
Mariah Tennant
2024-12-20 03:35:34 +0000 UTCThe quality of this video is sublime! So well done!!
AquarianQuirks
2024-12-19 15:47:57 +0000 UTCThis video was done so well! Took some notes down for my own filmmaking.
Jordan Taylor
2024-12-19 03:19:33 +0000 UTCJohn, you knocked this one out of the park!!! Very interesting and just beyond well done. Thanxz🤩
Patrick Murray
2024-12-18 15:55:54 +0000 UTCHalfway done the video now, really amazing work and I especially enjoyed the trippy editing! I'm currently doing humanitarian aid work in Bhutan. Although very different, Neom reminds me of the Gelephu Mindfulness City project that the Kingdom is putting into motion these days. Is there any interest from your side in doing a Bhutan futuristic-city deep dive similar to what you've just released? A few possible angles to look into: the recent mass exodus of young people from Bhutan to places like Australia and Canada to work minimum wage jobs and study; the government of Bhutan's obsession with cryptocurrency; the citizens (at least those I met in the countryside) don't like the fairly-recently introduced democratisation of the kingdom. Happy holidays to you, Iz and your team! Keep up the great journalism! :)
Keiston Herchel
2024-12-18 14:43:24 +0000 UTC
