Every now and then, GCC citizens wake up to a new announcement for the launch of another novel megaproject. These megaprojects often share the same promises and goals, such as creating financial centers, attracting foreign investments, job creation, transfer of knowledge, an alternative income stream, or economy diversification. Past projects include Silk city in Kuwait, NEOM and the unique Line in KSA, the Duqm in Oman as well as many others. Unfortunately, the problem is that more often than not, these mega builds deliver on only a fraction of their stated promises.
The primary issue with these megaprojects is their clear lack of citizen participation. Despite elaborate marketing campaigns directed at the public, the projects rarely manifest from community input or interests. Lofty promises are made by organizers, and citizens remain skeptical. Further, these ambitious plans ask citizens to make sacrifices and contribute to their success, even though community members feel alienated throughout the process.
We cannot deny the positive impacts generated by these projects and the wide international coverage they receive. They infer attempts to move the stagnant economy and escape the repetition of traditional endeavors that proved unsuccessful in the past. Nevertheless, we must raise some worthy questions, as projects of this scale should not pass without careful study and examination. If the project fails, it’s very difficult to undo without high economic, social, and environmental costs.
Here are the questions to ask when considering a megaproject:
- Do the GCC countries have the luxury of investing future generations’ funds for immature/high-risk projects?
- Are these projects worth risking untouched land that is financially and environmentally costly to develop while ignoring existing urban centers suffering from complex problems and when GCC countries face an unprecedented lack of financial/human resources?
- Can the Arabian Peninsula accommodate an additional influx of migrant workers, population, tourists, and consumers? Were the associated environmental and financial costs resulting from further urban sprawl and population expansion taken into consideration?
- Will GCC countries truly benefit from this project, or does it only serve to add another item on the portfolio of international mega consultancies and contracting companies?
- Should national investments of this scale necessitate more citizen participation?
In this moment, we are moving against the current. Nations worldwide invest in wise valuable projects where the environment, conservation, and recycling are all priorities. Advanced nations approach projects with an intense analysis of cost and returns. Contemporary successful projects are local, compact, smart, and efficient, while our present proposals are foreign, mega, conventional and wasteful.