In October -November 2021 - led a 4 man climbing development team of experienced climbers and mountain guides tasked to deliver a global climbing destination. Over a four week period 100 world class climbing routes were equipped on the desert towers of NEOM in Saudi Arabia.

The destination was inaugurated during the Rise100 event that hosted 80 members of the Saudi climbing community, plus NEOM staff, media and VIP’s, including professional climbers Emily Harrington and Adrian Ballinger.

During this project Read managed the delivery and team from pre-travel logistics and material preparation through to establishing the climbs, preparing the climbing sites for public use and finally hosting the guests on the event days.

For four weeks the development team operated autonomously, living predominantly on-site in the desert to establish the climbs. The work involved extensive site preparation and the hardware was tested to ensure safety and that international best practices are met or exceeded. After the installation work, we created a guidebook and maps for the visitors and devised a ‘climbing marathon’ competition that would anchor the four day event.

During the week of the event, the climbing development team acted as hosts to introduce the guests to the newly delivered world-class climbing destination and ensure the safety and enjoyment of all guests. The site has sinced gained the attention of the world climbing community, receiving visitors and local NEOM staff alike during the week.