The symbolic capital of sustainability : The domestication of sustainability in Saudi Arabia’s urban development scheme ‘Neom’

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to consider the spread of the global model of the sustainable city and its domestication in a local context. Employing a World Society Theory perspective, the research considers how the sustainable city model has been constructed and diffused globally, based on an intersection of global discourses on sustainability and on city branding and competition. It focuses specifically on the case study of Neom, a new sustainable construction in Saudi Arabia, to highlight the how local, national, regional and global identities and agendas interact to influence the local adoption of a global model. In particular, the research seeks to answer the following questions: What vision of sustainability is presented in the Neom project, and for what purposes? What role have questions of identity played at various levels of local, national, regional and global in the concretisation of the sustainable city concept in Neom?

Based on a critical discourse analysis undertaken on Neom’s advertising communication, this thesis argues that the application policies of models in line with global norms, such as the sustainable city concept, offers cities and nations the opportunity to improve branding and symbolic capital and, relatedly economic capital. These objectives are particularly motivating where nations or cities, typically those from a non-Western context, have comparatively low symbolic capital and may be objectified and placed in a position of scrutiny in global hierarchical structures. In such cases, image and reputation may be motivating factors, leading to increased elements of spectacle or performativity in the adoption of models.