(Johnny Simon/WSJ, Abaca/Sipa/AP, Planet Labs, AFP/Getty Images) Costs are spiraling at Neom, Saudi Arabia’s planned desert metropolis. Early work on the futuristic project, anchored by an ...

Private yachts were moored nearby, and some of the biggest celebrities were in attendance as Saudi Arabia partially opened Neom, its ambitious $500 billion mega-city in the desert. The event was ...