Saudi Arabia builds a hotel similar to the movie Lord of the Rings, cool but criticized!

A new tourism development project has been announced in the Gulf of Aqaba, namely a hotel that has a building similar to the famous movie ‘Lord of the Rings’.

Saudi Arabian leaders unveiled plans to build the Siranna, a hexagonal pillar-shaped hotel that will have 65 rooms and 35 private residential units.

Launch The MirrorSunday (17/11/2024) the only way to enter the hotel is by sea. For fans of ‘Lord of the Rings’ the design of the building may remind them of ‘The White City’, the white city that was destroyed in the film directed by Peter Jackson. The fort that stands high above the dusty plains and is built on the face of a mountain looks a bit like Siranna.

“Siranna exemplifies NEOM’s unparalleled efforts to create spaces in nature that support sustainable living and future creativity, while offering a luxurious hospitality experience,” the site wrote. NEOM’s official website.

In addition to its unique design, the hotel will also have a beach club, fitness facilities and a spa.

“The tall and luxurious rocks in this hotel are beautifully carved into the mountain slopes. The line between being inside a mountain or inside a building feels blurred. Siranna gives the best opportunity to relax,” continued the explanation.

The hotel was designed by Woods Bagot and rugged rocks and nature trails add to the beauty of the views of the surrounding landscape. Although the exact cost of building the hotel has not been announced, it is estimated that the NEOM project will cost a total of USD 1 trillion to USD 1.5 trillion, more than Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund which reached $925 billion in July this year .

The NEOM project itself has seen a significant increase in costs from the initial estimate of $500 billion. In fact, the director of the project, Nadhmi al-Nasr, was recently removed from his position adding to doubts about the future of the project.

A statement from NEOM said that the new leadership would ensure continuity and operational efficiency according to the vision and goals of the project, but did not reveal the reasons for his removal.

In total, the NEOM project will cover ten areas, including an octagonal port city called Oxagon, a futuristic city shaped like a long line (The Line), and an island resort called Sindalah.

The NEOM project continues to receive criticism, especially regarding human rights violations. Human rights group (ALQST) reported that three people were executed after being expelled from NEOM area. In addition, recent reports say that more than 21,000 workers have died since the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 project began in 2016.

In fact, an ITV documentary called ‘Kingdom Uncovered: Inside Saudi Arabia’ claimed in October that around 100,000 people had disappeared since the launch of the Vision 2030 plan.

according to ReutersNEOM project leaders were working to tight deadlines, but many schemes in the project were late or delayed. Earlier this year, experts from the UN Human Rights Council also expressed concern about the impending execution.

However, Saudi Arabia responded to the UN statement by denying human rights violations. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is in charge of this huge project, has promised to invest trillions of dollars to change the country and the international image of Saudi Arabia.

(up/wsw)