In a first, Saudis give citizenship to a robot

The country also intends to build an entirely new city- called Neom- from scratch

A robot with Saudi citizenship? It’s the latest surreal scene from the kingdom’s “Davos in the Desert,” where Saudi Arabia’s leaders have been attempting to impress their economic ambitions upon the rest of the world.

In a three-day event that has already seen the country announce its intent to build an entirely new city — called Neom — from scratch, the announcement that a robot named Sophia has been granted Saudi citizenship stands apart.

Alongside a holographic lion and a virtual rollercoaster, the robot has been on display at the Future Investment Initiative held by Saudi Public Investment Fund this week.

“Thank you