Many of us have used Google Earth or other satellite-image systems to look up our home. But imagine having a house so big, so over the top, that you could see it without fully zooming in.
An image of such a house has gone viral on Reddit. But actually, calling this a house doesn't do it justice, as this is a new royal palace in Saudi Arabia.
"This has to be the most expensive house in the world," the post on r/GoogleEarthFinds reads.
The palace belongs to Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, a royal and billionaire, Luxurylaunches reported. It's a part of Neom, a planned city in the desert along the Red Sea coast.
The amount of lush, green space in the photo is a stark contrast to the desert that surrounds it. The golf course stands out in particular, but it also reportedly contains 10 helipads — for when nine just aren't enough.
"Wonder how much they're spending on irrigation just to keep that place green, one Redditor commented.
That water use could face considerable scrutiny as studies show the Arabian Peninsula is likely to face more frequent drought conditions in the future, as the planet continues to get warmer.
Of course, homes don't need to reach palatial levels of grandeur to receive internet backlash — or to do major environmental damage.
Reddit has an entire subreddit dedicated to "McMansions," urban and suburban homes that are often unnecessarily large and can feature, um, interesting design choices. These homes can waste huge amounts of energy just to keep them heated and cooled as well as tons of water to keep their landscaping lush and green.
Commenters were aghast at the pure excess in this Saudi palace, wondering how one family could possibly need that much space.
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Absolutely 🗑️ "I bet there's places on that property (or in their palace) that those people don't see for months," one wrote.
Others wondered how anyone could feel good about using up the resources necessary to maintain such a home.
"The arrogance of humans trying to control the Earth is amusing and infuriating," one commenter wrote. "So much wasted energy while people die of thirst and hunger."
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