Saudi Arabia intends to construct a turtle-shaped floating city costing $8 billion

This is the Lazzarini Pangeos, a giant floating city in the shape of a turtle that Saudi Arabia intends to construct.

Not only will it be enormous, but it will also be extraordinarily costly, costing approximately $8 billion to finish.

Named after the supercontinent Pangea, which existed two hundred million years ago, this is unlike anything we've ever seen.

If funded, it would be the largest floating superstructure ever constructed.

It would be three times longer than the Azzam, which is the world's largest yacht, at 550 metres (1,800 feet) (590 ft).

This is officially a yacht, according to Lazzarini, the design firm collaborating with Saudi Arabia on the project.

It can travel long distances by floating on water, and it can be tied to a pier.

Nonetheless, the objective is to create a self-sufficient city.

It will comprise shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, public parks, small-ship ports, and, of course, residential structures.

So how does it work?

The yacht would remain afloat due to the placement of approximately 30,000 cells beneath the living area.

Clearly, a substantial portion of the hull and beam would be covered with solar panels to generate energy.

This is now only a prototype, but Lazzarini and Saudi Arabia are taking it seriously.

According to estimates, building might begin in 2033 and take approximately eight years to finish.