Is Saudi Arabia Still Building THE LINE, Its Futuristic Desert Megacity?
THE LINE is an ambitious 170-kilometer mirrored megacity designed to cut through the desert, central to Saudi Arabia's evolving architectural plans. Positioned as the core feature of NEOM, a $500 billion development in the country’s northwest, it was promoted as a car-free, carbon-neutral city contained between two parallel walls soaring 500 meters high.
This visionary urban project, once considered the most radical of the 21st century, now faces significant challenges. Reports indicate Saudi Arabia is reassessing the vast Vision 2030 initiative, which includes a portfolio of architectural megaprojects valued at over $1 trillion.
“Behind the futuristic renderings and bold rhetoric, officials have acknowledged that the pace and cost of construction have become unsustainable amid falling oil prices and growing budget deficits.”
Originally planned to extend 170 kilometers across the Tabuk desert, THE LINE has reportedly been reduced to initial construction spanning only a few miles. The government is reallocating resources and adjusting timelines in response to financial pressures.
Summary
Saudi Arabia’s grand vision for THE LINE faces delays and downsizing as economic realities force a reevaluation of its ambitious urban megaprojects under Vision 2030.
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