Resilient, unyielding, and unwavering, all this and more is what Saudi Arabia’s Neom City, a prodigal new way of life, is standing as a shining example of. The makers of the vertical city, The Line, that will stretch 170 km long, 500 meters high, and 200 meters wide, skip no opportunity to exhibit the progress of their mind-blowing master plan. It is almost surreal to watch the architectural anomaly take shape in the progress video, but the details put the headway into perspective but not without perplex. The latest video showcases the breakneck development taking place on The Line, 7 days a week.
Our vertical city is progressing. Witness the first phase of our masterplan take shape #TheLINE #NEOM pic.twitter.com/Yq2yc2YgJ1
— NEOM (@NEOM) May 5, 2024
This round-the-clock evolution employs over 260 excavators and more than a whopping 2000 trucks to move over 3 million m3 of Earth. At the end of all the grit, billions, and planning, the project with no cars, no roads, and no carbon emissions will be powered by 100% renewable energy and aim to accommodate 9 million people. Fascinatingly, The Line will be built on 34 km2 which is 1/3rd the size of Disney World or 2% of a conventional city. The rest of the pristine environment, nearly 95%, will be left untouched and preserved for nature.
There is equal parts curiosity and contempt when it comes to the $1 trillion Neom City, envisioned by Saudi Crown Prince MBS, owing to its over-the-top nature that requires breaking molds of the human ways to make way for a new way of life. Call it fear of the unknown, which is why Neom officials are inviting heads from financial sectors, businesses in construction from around the globe to come and witness the making of a marvel to turn disbelief into a dogma of faith. MBS has plans to pump more workforce into project ‘Neom’ with an army of 200,000 skilled workers to accelerate construction on the sites by next year.
