Neom is happening. However, for a project of this magnitude, even decades may not be enough. Officials have provided updates on Neom’s five major developments, Trojena, Sindalah, The Line, Oxagon, and Magna, confirming that all are progressing. Yet, its flagship linear city, The Line, is expected to take at least a century to fully develop and populate. While many aspects align with Vision 2030, The Line will undergo significant changes over time. Initially, the Saudi government aimed to have 1.5 million residents in The Line by 2030, but this projection has now been revised to fewer than 300,000.
Denis Hickey, an Australian former professional cricketer now working as the Chief Development Officer at Neom, acknowledged the scale of the endeavor, stating, “Everybody wants to see things tomorrow, but we are building a whole new state, a whole new city, and an entirely new infrastructure from scratch in an undeveloped part of the kingdom. That’s our mission.” He added, “It’s not just about constructing another city to house people; it has to have a theme and a purpose.”
According to New Civil Engineer, Hickey described The Line as the capital of Neom and confirmed that the pouring of the foundation for its first phase will begin soon, with vertical construction set to follow later this year. To put its scale into perspective, he compared it to the Burj Khalifa, which has approximately 300,000 square meters of gross floor area. In contrast, the first phase of The Line will span an astounding 20 million square meters.
Life in The Line will be a radical departure from conventional cities. Residents will spend as much time outdoors as indoors in an environment free of cars, powered entirely by renewable energy. The city will feature a primary deck functioning as a boulevard for traffic and infrastructure, with vertical transport systems ensuring seamless navigation every 100 meters. Rayan Fayez, the Deputy CEO of Neom added ‘Neom will be the iPhone to normal cities’ Nokia’.
With such a groundbreaking approach to urban living, it’s hard to disagree with Hickey. Despite the scaled-down projections, he affirmed, “The Line represents a future where cities coexist harmoniously with nature while ensuring a high quality of life for generations to come.” This news comes on the heels of a landmark $3 billion funding deal secured by MBS to further expand Neom.
