Neom

Ruder Finn has a $1.7M one-year contract with Saudi Arabia to develop a website and social media campaign for Neom, the $500B mega-city that is supposed to be the centerpiece of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to diversify the Kingdom's economy.

The independent firm will station two to three employees in Saudi Arabia to work on the campaign. Staffers in New York and Asia will support them.

The campaign will pitch Neom as a model for sustainable living and a city of the future, "a place that is focused on setting new standards for community health, environmental protection, and the effective and productive use of technology," according to RF.

The PR push also may shape US public opinion and members of Congress about the development of Neom.

RF's contract includes a COVID-19 provision calling for it "to use all reasonable endeavors to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among its personnel, the employer’s worksite and any person at the employer’s worksite."

The agreement also notes that RF, which is headed by Kathy Bloomgarden, is a women-owned business with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. The firm will use its local network to recruit and train women in the community to support customer service.

The Saudis also have Teneo working to promote Neom. It signed a six-month $840K contract in January to manage the communications department of Neom. That followed a $2.1M pact inked in 2019.