Rapid change is the normal now. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has set NEOM to become a symbol—a place where technology, innovation, and ambition are not only welcomed, but required (World Bank overview of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030). As NEOM’s digital infrastructure rises from the desert, new tech projects emerge almost every week, and suddenly, workforce management becomes the question nobody can ignore. How do you build, lead, and support a diverse, skilled, and sometimes scattered team, especially when everything is moving so quickly?
This is not about making a perfect plan. It’s about getting results—right now.
In this article, you will see not just strategy and checklists, but real moments where timing matters, and decisions have a ripple effect. You’ll also see how companies like EWS Limited make a real difference: stitching together ideas, compliance, teams, and momentum as NEOM’s tech dreams become reality.
Every few decades, a city tries to reinvent the future. NEOM, poised on the edge of the Red Sea, is Saudi Arabia’s pitch for the world’s smartest city—a technology testbed designed to bring together global talent, investment, and innovation (World Bank overview of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030). It’s not just an idea, either. Billions are moving, cranes are turning, and programmers, engineers, scientists, and planners from more than 120 countries are making the blueprint real.
It sounds thrilling—but honestly, it’s intimidating. Even experienced leaders have to learn and unlearn along the way. shrug
You want the best minds. But a booming tech project means more than just putting engineers in seats. It’s building a culture that works for brilliant, diverse, sometimes distributed people. So, where do you begin?
Recruitment for NEOM-based tech projects: what actually worksThere’s always the temptation to chase talent in the same old places or to recycle last year’s job description. Yet NEOM needs more—that much is clear from the OECD 2023 Economic Survey, which stresses the need for upskilling and a multi-disciplined talent pool.
Based on what we’ve seen with EWS Limited and global partners, companies looking to build a NEOM-ready workforce should try:
What’s interesting is that more than ever before, the process is two-way. Candidates judge companies just as much as companies judge them. Human stories, mission, and values really show—especially for those coming from far away.
You cannot just “copy and paste” global HR for NEOM. Legal, payroll, and tax compliance vary across borders and demand constant attention. Many startups and Series B/C tech companies use a partner like EWS Limited for compliant onboarding, cross-border payroll, and Employer of Record (EOR) services in over 100 countries, without needing to build an in-house legal army.
Some days, you’ll feel that things are moving slower than you want. It’s inevitable. Keep the process lean, rethink often, and get outside help when needed.
Training, upskilling, and a culture that sticksProjects rise and fall with the skills of their teams. But skills are everywhere—so how do you keep your team learning, especially when the required knowledge might not even exist in a local market yet? The OECD’s 2023 survey makes clear that NEOM won’t work without investment in workforce development.
Simple, right? But in practice, this kind of learning feels messy and sometimes awkward. You get iteration, not perfection. And that’s fine.
In every growing project, people come and go. Your job: make sure the people you want most, stay. NEOM is new, ambitious, and no small number of hires will find the desert, the rules, or the culture surprising.
Of course, you won’t always be able to stop attrition. Accept some churn. But track patterns—if a skill set keeps leaving, it’s worth some real soul-searching.
Now, about where the work actually happens. NEOM embraces digital, so many tech teams are mixed: some work from NEOM’s smart offices, others from their home countries, and some split sites. Building a seamless experience gets tricky fast.
If you make remote teams an afterthought, the whole project suffers.
Most NEOM-based tech projects will eventually have employees, contractors, or service partners in a few different countries—not just Saudi Arabia, but maybe India, the US, Europe, or North Africa. Payroll gets complicated, as do employment laws, taxation, and benefits. Even small mistakes get expensive.
Here, companies like EWS Limited can help support with solutions such as:
Managing this yourself is not impossible, but it can be overwhelming. Outsourced solutions let your leaders focus on building tech, not paperwork.
The global talent pipeline: how to keep it movingYou’ve hired today, but NEOM’s scale means you will need new people tomorrow, next quarter, and next year. Talent pipelines don’t build themselves.
Oddly enough, the best hires for NEOM projects today may not have the “perfect” CV. Curiosity, learning agility, and cultural flexibility win more in the long run.
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