South Korea’s Naver Wins Saudi Deal to Build Digital Replicas of Mecca, Riyadh

South Korean internet leader Naver Corp. won a contract to build and operate a cloud platform for Saudi Arabia, securing its first major high-tech export to the Middle East.

Naver’s announcement came as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and heads of major companies including Samsung Electronics Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. are visiting Saudi Arabia. They’re trying to win some of the kingdom’s industrial and mega projects, such as in Neom, a vast new city the Saudi government is building in the desert that is expected to cost over $500 billion.