The Line: Saudi Arabia's megaproject aiming to redefine the city of the future
Imagine building a city completely unlike anything humanity has ever planned. That's the premise behind The Line, one of the world's most ambitious projects and part of NEOM, the futuristic megacity initiative launched by the Saudi government to diversify the country's economy and reduce its dependence on oil.
Officially announced in January 2021 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the project began moving off the drawing board in 2022, when site preparation work started in the desert of the Tabuk province in the country's northwest. The initiative is coordinated by NEOM Company, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Saudi sovereign wealth fund responsible for financing and developing the venture.
The original plan calls for a linear city 170 kilometers long, just 200 meters wide, and roughly 500 meters tall. Its outer façades will be covered in mirrored panels designed to reflect the desert landscape and minimize the structure's visual impact on the surrounding environment.
Unlike traditional cities, The Line was conceived with no streets and no cars. Homes, schools, hospitals, offices, shopping centers, and leisure areas would be arranged vertically, so that nearly all essential services are within a five-minute walk of residents.
Another key feature is the transportation system. A high-speed train is meant to connect the entire city, covering the 170 kilometers in about 20 minutes, while automated systems handle internal transport distribution without the need for private vehicles.
According to plans released by the Saudi government, once fully completed, The Line could house around 9 million residents, making it one of the largest planned cities on the planet.
Construction moves forward, but the project has been scaled back
Turning this vision into reality, however, is one of the greatest challenges in modern engineering.
Even before any buildings went up, thousands of machines began extensive excavation work to lay the deep foundations needed to support one of the largest continuous structures ever conceived. Satellite images captured since construction began show kilometers of excavation, large work sites, and extensive infrastructure being built in the middle of the desert.
In recent years, though, the Saudi government has shifted its focus toward what's known as Phase 1 of the project, considered more financially and operationally viable.
Among the key projects in this phase is Neom Stadium, a suspended stadium set to host matches for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which Saudi Arabia will host. At the same time, part of the infrastructure originally planned for The Line may end up being used for large data centers, taking advantage of its proximity to the Red Sea to help cool the high-tech equipment.
Priority given to strategic projects
The project's progress comes amid a broader reassessment of the Saudi government's priorities. Faced with steep construction costs, the Public Investment Fund has redirected resources toward stages considered more strategic in the short term, without abandoning the goal of developing The Line over the coming decades.
Experts estimate that fully completing the project could require investments in the trillions of dollars and a timeline stretching over several decades. For that reason, Saudi authorities have chosen to carry out the venture in phases, allowing parts of the infrastructure to become operational before the entire city is finished.
Despite the technical, financial, and logistical challenges, The Line continues to be presented as one of the pillars of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategy, a national program created to drive innovation, attract international investment, and position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for technology, tourism, and sustainable development.
Supporters see The Line as a new model of urbanism built on smart mobility, sustainability, and optimized use of urban space. Critics, meanwhile, raise doubts about its economic viability, its environmental impact, and whether people will adapt to such an unprecedented city format.
Whatever the outcome, the project has already gone down in history as one of the boldest engineering and urban planning initiatives ever proposed — bringing together billions in investment, groundbreaking technology, and a concept that challenges the traditional way of building cities.