The Jumbo Wisma team could be sponsored by Neom, a huge development project in Saudi Arabia, and team manager Richard Plugge called the Wielerfritz report "interesting," but denied any direct contact with Neom officials.

Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo will end its sponsorship after the 2024 season, but Plugge hopes to find a major international sponsor to replace it and continue to compete with UAE Team Emirates in the Tour de France and in the top UCI rankings The team hopes to increase its budget so that it can continue to compete with UAE Team Emirates in the Tour de France and in the top UCI rankings.

Visma and Cervelo are eager to remain as major sponsors, but Plugge needs to find a major title sponsor to complete the €35-40 million budget needed for the men's, women's and development teams.

Plugge revealed that he is working with a number of contacts and agencies to find a new sponsor, which is why he was not directly aware of any interest from Neom. Negotiations with Neom have been underway for some time, and other potential sponsors have expressed interest.

"The fact that they are interested in sponsoring our team is new to me. It is possible that one of the agencies or contacts we have signed up with to find new sponsors is in contact with this party," Plugge told WielerFlits

when a Dutch-language website reported the possibility of a sponsorship.

"We get frequent updates from them. We are currently in serious negotiations with several international parties, but nothing concrete yet."

The Neomatics' "We are in serious negotiations with a number of international parties, but nothing concrete yet.

The Neom project is a massive development aimed at launching Saudi Arabia globally and reducing its dependence on oil revenues. It includes a 110-km long "smart city" line project in northwestern Saudi Arabia, near Egypt and Jordan.

The plan includes a number of other massive construction projects, including a floating industrial park, a global trade hub, a tourist resort, and a massive linear city building, all apparently to be powered by renewable energy. The project is said to be the largest building program in the world and is being funded primarily by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), with an estimated budget of $500 billion.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have followed a similar development strategy for the past two decades, and Saudi Arabia is eager to catch up under the rule of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia, like its neighbors, has been accused of sportswashing, using global interest in sports to cover up its poor record on human rights. Saudi soccer clubs are currently spending millions of dollars to sign big-name players for leading teams, and Saudi investors bought Newcastle United of the English Premier League last year.

Saudi public investment funds have also funded the departure of LIV Golf and will fund a new deal with the PGA. Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco has signed a long-term global sponsorship deal with F1 and helped create the Jeddah Grand Prix.

Tour de France organizer ASO is already helping to run the Tour of Saudi Arabia, and Saudi tourist destination AlUla is expanding its investment and sponsorship of the Australian Jayco-AlUla team.

Amnesty International has frequently spoken out about Saudi Arabia's human rights record, claiming that protesters are unjustly punished and migrant workers continue to be abused and exploited under the sponsorship system. Saudi Arabia's personal status law codifies male guardianship and discrimination against women. The death penalty continues to be regularly applied in Saudi Arabia.

The 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi cast a shadow over the rule of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. A United Nations report deemed Khashoggi's death to "constitute an extrajudicial killing for which the state of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is responsible.

Others credit Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman with rejuvenating Saudi Arabia and creating new developments such as Neom.

WielerFlits spoke with Stijn Janssen, a Dutch tax expert and Middle East specialist, about the possibility of sports sponsorship by Saudi Arabia and Neom.

"Neom sees the opportunity that sponsorship of Jumbo Visma offers, and it fits their profile to become a cycling powerhouse after the UAE Emirates and Bahrain Victorias," Janssen said. [Saudi Arabia is mainly looking for a long-term contract, a perfect fit for Jumbo Visma, which is looking for a partner until the end of 2030 and has ambitions to become one of the best teams in the world."

"The regime wants Neom to become a top destination for major sporting events. Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman recognizes that sports are a great tool to forge new diplomatic relations, support trade agreements, attract tourists, and promote sports in general." . as a way to establish its place in the international community.

Jumbo-Visma must secure a new sponsor to replace Jumbo by the summer of 2024 and persuade other sponsors and leading players. Teams will begin registering with the UCI for 2025 in August 2024.