The challenge
As part of the wider NEOM City programme, NEOM Digital set out to become a leading digital services hub for the Middle East and Africa. The ambition was to establish scalable digital service offerings capable of generating significant new revenue streams by 2030, while positioning NEOM as a regional anchor for advanced digital infrastructure and services.
To achieve this, NEOM required support in refining its digital services strategy, validating its execution roadmap, and identifying suitable joint venture partners that could accelerate market entry, bring regional scale, and strengthen NEOM’s role within the broader digital ecosystem.
Project outline
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Reviewed, validated, and expanded the existing NEOM Infra holding strategy and corporate development plan to support digital services growth.
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Supported the execution of the approved strategy through targeted analysis and advisory inputs.
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Designed and executed a partnering strategy for NEOM Infra HoldCo, focused on identifying, recommending, and selecting strategic joint venture partners.
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Conducted structured market scanning across the Middle East and Africa to identify partners capable of accelerating NEOM’s digital services ambitions.
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Evaluated potential partners’ ability to deliver “gravity” to NEOM’s digital infrastructure, enhancing regional relevance and commercial attractiveness.
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Provided ongoing inputs and feedback to NEOM’s infrastructure planning teams, covering wired, wireless, and international connectivity dimensions.
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Supported decision-making related to partner selection, engagement models, and strategic positioning of NEOM Digital services.
Our impact
The engagement strengthened NEOM Digital’s strategic foundation by refining its execution roadmap and enabling a structured approach to partner identification and selection. Salience’s support helped position NEOM as a credible regional platform for digital services, capable of attracting high-quality partners and accelerating the development of revenue-generating digital offerings.
The work directly contributed to enhancing NEOM’s strategic clarity, partner readiness, and infrastructure-led digital growth ambitions across the Middle East and Africa.
Duration of engagement: June 2023 – December 2023