A futuristic Saudi megacity will feature two skyscrapers stretching across a swath of desert and mountainous terrain, according to the latest revelations about the project from the kingdom’s de facto ruler.
Parallel structures of mirrored skyscrapers stretching more than 100 miles, known collectively as the Line, form the heart of the Red Sea megacity Neom, a plank of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s effort to diversify the Gulf state’s oil-dependent economy.
First announced in 2017, Neom has consistently raised eyebrows over buzzy proposals like flying taxis and robot maids, even as architects and economists have questioned their feasibility.
La Línia is conceived as a linear city of only 200 meters in width formed by two long skyscrapers with mirrors. Photograph: Neom/AFP/Getty Images
In a presentation on Monday night, Prince Mohammed outlined an even more ambitious vision, describing a car-free utopia that would become “by far” the most livable city on the planet.
Analysts noted, however, that Neom’s plans had changed course over the years, fueling doubts about whether the line will ever become a reality.
Neom was once billed as a regional “Silicon Valley,” a biotech and digital hub spread over some 10,000 square miles (26,000 km²).
Planners say it would have a year-round temperate microclimate with natural ventilation. Photograph: Neom/AFP/Getty Images
It is now a vehicle for reimagining urban life in a footprint of just 13 square miles (34 square km), addressing what Prince Mohammed describes as “livability and environmental crises.”
“The concept has morphed so much since its early conception that it is sometimes difficult to determine its direction: to reduce, increase or make an aggressive turn sideways,” said Robert Mogielnicki of the Gulf States Institute Arab in Washington.
Officials had previously said Neom’s population would top one million, but Prince Mohammed said the number would reach 1.2 million by 2030, before rising to 9 million by 2045.
The line would extend more than 100 miles to Saudi Arabia from the Red Sea. Photograph: Neom/AFP/Getty Images
The staggering total is part of an expected nationwide population boom that Prince Mohammed said would be needed to turn Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter, into an economic powerhouse.
The goal for 2030 is for 50 million people, half Saudis and half foreigners, to live in the kingdom, compared to 34 million today.
By 2040 the goal was 100 million people, he said.
“That’s the main purpose of building Neom, to increase the capacity of Saudi Arabia, to get more citizens and more people in Saudi Arabia. And since we’re doing it from scratch, why should we copy normal cities?
Prince Mohammed said the city would be car-free. Photograph: Neom/AFP/Getty Images
The site will run on 100 percent renewable energy and feature “a year-round temperate microclimate with natural ventilation,” according to a promotional video released Monday.
The kingdom’s previous environmental pledges, such as a promise to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060, have drawn skepticism from environmentalists.
Saudi Arabia Releases Short Trailer for Futuristic Skyscraper Complex The Line: Video
Neom is well positioned to take advantage of solar and wind power, and there are also plans for the city to host the world’s largest green hydrogen plant, said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
“But the feasibility of Neom as a whole is still unclear given the unprecedented scale and cost of the project,” he said.
Just 200 meters wide, the Line aims to be Saudi Arabia’s answer to uncontrolled and wasteful urban sprawl, layering houses, schools and parks on top of each other in what planners call “gravity urbanism zero”.
Residents would have “all daily necessities” within walking distance. Photograph: Neom/AFP/Getty Images
Residents will have “all daily necessities” accessible within a five-minute walk, while also having access to other benefits such as outdoor skiing facilities and “a high-speed train with a traffic of 20-minute end-to-end,” according to a statement.
Although Neom will operate under its own founding law, which is still being prepared, Saudi officials say they have no plans to waive the kingdom’s alcohol ban.
An airport is already operational in Neom, and authorities announced in May that they would begin receiving regular flights from Dubai, but it is not yet clear whether major construction has begun in the megacity.
The line will form the heart of the Red Sea megacity Neom, which Prince Mohammed said would be home to 1.2 million people by 2030. Picture: Neom/AFP/Getty Images
Neom said on Tuesday it would create 380,000 jobs by the end of the decade “while providing the ultimate work-life balance”.
The “first phase” of the project, which will run until 2030, would cost 1.2 billion Saudi riyals (about £265 billion), Prince Mohammed said.
In addition to government grants, potential funding sources included the private sector and an initial public offering of Neom expected in 2024, he said.
Securing the necessary financing remains a potential challenge, although the current climate is more favorable than during the coronavirus pandemic, which pushed oil prices lower.
“But funding is only part of the equation … demand is harder to buy, especially when you’re asking people to be part of an experiment about living and working in the future,” Mogielnicki said.