Artists Shape the Future of Neom in Its First-Ever Residency Program

Neom’s first ‘Artists in Residence’ program brought together eight creatives to explore how art contributes to city-building, even in a place that is still under construction. The three-month residency paired four Saudi artists, Bilal Allaf, Ahaad Alamoudi, Abdulmohsen Al Bin Ali and Ayman Zedani, with four international participants: Eduardo Cassina (Spain), Tamara Kalo (Lebanon), Giulia Bruno (Italy), and Liva Dudareva (Latvia).

The artists travelled to Neom in September to study its landscape and projects before heading to Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary foundation to reflect on their experiences. They returned to Neom with their final projects, each shaped by their surroundings and interactions with the city’s engineers, sustainability teams and planners.

Cassina created a 20-metre tapestry mapping Neom’s history from the Nabataeans to today, while Ali studied the region’s bird migrations, connecting them to local mythology. Alamoudi filmed a video retelling Neom’s story in the desert, and Allaf collaborated with an engineer to choreograph a dance performance featuring a robot.

Their works were exhibited in Neom in late November, giving the city’s 5,500 residents and visiting consultants a first glimpse into how artists are interpreting its evolving identity. The residency also demonstrated the role of artists in shaping new urban environments, offering insights alongside architects, engineers, and futurists.

Though widely known for its USD 500 billion mega-developments like The Line, Oxagon, and Trojena, Neom’s cultural wing has been quietly working to establish an artistic presence within the city. The ‘Artists in Residence’ program is one of its first major steps in that direction, integrating creative perspectives into the ongoing construction of what has been billed as “the land of the future.”