The desert paradox: Why two countries surrounded by sand still ...
Despite endless dunes at their doorstep, the UAE and Saudi Arabia spend millions each year importing special sand.
en.as.comHere are the latest developments I can share about desert cities around the world, based on recent reporting up to 2026-05:
- Telosa and other desert-city concepts have continued to attract attention as speculative or planned projects, with discussions focusing on ambitious master plans and new urban economic models. Note: Telosa has been discussed in planning circles and media since 2021-2023, including coverage about its desert-location concept and proposed scale.[1]
- Saudi Arabia’s Neom and related desert mega-projects have remained prominent on the global stage, with ongoing coverage of mega-city development in the desert and related economic and social implications. Recent coverage continues to depict Neom as a flagship desert development, though detailed progress varies by report.[4]
- Desert-related climate and heat considerations regularly feature in news about large desert urban developments, including resilience to extreme heat and water resource management as cities expand in arid regions. This theme appears across multiple outlets when discussing desert-city planning and sustainability challenges.[2][9]
- Global desert environments are frequently in the news for environmental and geopolitical reasons—ranging from wildfires affecting desert-adjacent areas to water security and urban planning responses in arid regions. Examples appear in Economic Times and other outlets covering desertification and climate-change-focused topics.[6][9][2]
If you’d like, I can narrow this down to a specific desert region (e.g., Middle East, American Southwest, Sahel), or pull current headlines from a particular outlet. I can also provide a brief, side-by-side summary of key desert-city projects (cost, location, status, and controversy) if that helps. Please tell me your preferred focus.
Citations:
- Telosa and desert-city concepts coverage[1]
- Neom and desert mega-projects updates[4]
- Desert-city planning and climate resilience themes[9][2]
- Desertification and climate-change related desert news[6][9]