“Selling illusion to the Saudi people” An investigation into Saudi Arabia’s failed projects

Saudi Arabia's failed projects

Saudi Arabia’s failed projects are a mirror of the empty promises made by Bin Salman to the people of the country, although the country’s media continues to sell illusions to the Saudi people by trumpeting the same.

Information about dozens of incomplete projects in Saudi Arabia, which Saudi Crown Prince “Mohammed bin Salman” promised to open or complete with much publicity, shows that despite spending huge budgets, many of them are halted or half-finished.

The issue has been referred to by Saudi Arabian media as “selling illusion to the Saudi people”. In order to “sell the illusion to the Saudi people”, Bin Salman keeps creating widespread media publicity about dozens of incomplete projects in various ways, but the reality is different. And many projects have not been completed.

Investigation of these projects reveals that some of them have been shelved, some are half-completed, and there are some projects which have not provided any benefit to the public but have been allocated huge budgets.

In democratic countries, it is necessary to give a clear answer to the reasons for stoppage or delay in completion of a project and action is taken against the violators. But Saudi Arabia continues to shamefully trumpet Bin Salman’s false promises with no answers regarding the failure of the projects.

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Even after several years have passed since the scheduled date of completion of many projects, the foundation has not yet started. One of these projects is the “Amala” project, the first phase of which was to be put into operation in 2018, but its inauguration was once again postponed to 2024.

King Salman Energy City (SPARK) project

Saudi Arabia’s failed projects, media selling illusion to people

A lot of lies have also been fabricated about the King Salman Energy City (SPARK) project. It was announced in 2018 that the project would be completed in 2021, later announced it will ending in 2023, and now two years past the scheduled date the new lie continues with “opening soon”.

The funny thing is that those involved in the SPARK project had announced the signing of the contract to build a residential complex and a workers’ city at the end of 2022, but it was announced that the project will be completed in 2023.

The truth is that more than four years have passed since the start of the project but until now Saudi newspapers have not published real photographs of the city and, like “Al-Shark Al-Awsat” newspaper, deal only with “imaginary” pictures.

red sea international airport project. Saudi Arabia's failed projects

Saudi Arabia’s failed projects ; Red Sea International Airport

The construction project of the Red Sea International Airport is another example of Saudi Arabia’s failed projects, which was initially announced to be commissioned in 2022, but was later pushed back to 2023. Photos were published of work starting in the airport area in early 2020.

But at the end of the same year it was announced that the project would be put into operation in late 2022. Then in mid-2022 it was announced that the opening would take place in the first quarter of the next year, but a few months later it was announced again that it would be opened in 2024.

King Salman bridge Saudi-Egypt link bridge

King Salman bridge another example of Saudi Arabia’s failed projects

King Salman bridge (Saudi-Egypt bridge) waiting for construction is another example of Saudi Arabia’s failed projects, which Saudi Leaks points out and adds: Bin Salman announced in 2016 that construction of the King Salman Bridge would be started before 2020 and research teams has started work. this bridge is about to built between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. but even after almost 8 years have passed, there is still no sign of its construction work starting.

The new “Al Jouf” airport is another example of these failed projects. In 2018, it was announced that the airport would be converted into an international airport, but now, four years after this promise, it has been announced that an agreement has been reached with the contractor of the project.

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According to the report, the “Al-Qadiyah” recreational and sports airport project was also scheduled to open in 2022, but in the middle of the same year it was announced that the project would be completed in 2023.

The al Qunfudhah Airport project was also said to be handed over land by the end of 2016 so that its operational operations could begin in early 2018. Then the Civil Aviation Ministry announced the last date of its tender.

In December 2018, it was said that King Salman’s advisor “Khalid al-Faisal” would inaugurate it, then news came that the work would be completed in the next two years, but since then there has been no news about the project.

Farsan Island Saudi Arabia

Farasan Island Tourist Airport project

The same happened with the Farasan Island Tourist Airport project which was said to be operational by 2020, but there is no report on what happened to it. There are dozens of delayed and stalled projects and dozens of other new projects that Bin Salman has promised to implement.

It seems that these projects will meet the same fate as the previous projects. The Saudi media and advertising machinery will continue to advertise and promote these projects, wasting public money and selling illusions.

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