Proposed in 2017, The Line is one of the most ambitious projects in the futuristic landscape of NEOM. It soon became one of the shining beacons of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As per the estimates, the project is supposed to be completed by 2030 for it stands to be a part of the Saudi Vision 2030. Although the construction of the project is underway, there are certain conflicts around it too. So, if you’re interested in learning more about The Line, let’s take a brief look at it.
What is NEOM?
The de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, announced Neom to be one of the largest areas of the country for promoting development and growth. It is often referred to as a smart city. It is anticipated that Neom will be a region wherein there will be various resorts, cities and also other developments.
As of now, Neom is being funded and bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund on behalf of the government of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the Saudi development company was also established for creating Neom, led by the chief executive officer Nadhmi Al-Nasr. It is being claimed that as of now the fund will be contributing around $500 million to the scheme. Neom has become a part of the Saudi Vision 2030 for diversifying the economy of the country driving the focus away from being too dependent on oil.
Neom will be spread across an area of 10,2000 square miles towards the northwestern part of Saudi Arabia. It is anticipated that the area upon which Neom will be spread will be equal to the size of Albania. Therefore, there are chances that the area will range from Red Sea towards the South to the Gulf of Aqaba towards the West.
What is The Line?
As Neom will be launched, The Line will form to be one of the most important foundations of the city. According to the government, The Line will act as a backbone which will form an important part of the seminal central project. The Line would further have different elements such as zero cars, infrastructures, utilities and hyperloop which will contribute to the overall beauty. Therefore, it will play an important role in reducing emissions across the city.
The Line will be built across the Tabuk Province situated in the north-western part of Saudi Arabia, and north of the Red Sea. The entire project will expand around the Gulf of Aqaba and also run through the mountain range, extending along the coast and eventually towards the desert. As of now, The Line is being designed by US-based Morphosis Architects involving the expertise of some of the best international consultants. This project will feature 1,600 feet buildings situated 500 meters above sea level and is expected to be taller than the world-famous skyscraper, the Empire State Building of New York.
When Will The Line in Saudi Arabia be Finished?
According to the original plans of the Saudi Vision 2030, The Line is expected to be completed by 2030. However, as per the current status, it is expected that The Line may not be completed by 2030 and may eventually be extended to 2050. It is important to understand when the 150-kilometre span will be ready. It is being anticipated that the first module of The Line might be activated by 2026. However, the authorities will require extra time for developing the sci-fi promotional videos as per the required structural solution and design. Moreover, there will also be high financial concerns which will eventually lead to a delay in the project, as per the estimates.
What Will be the Length of The Line?
As per the estimates and the original plan of the Saudi Vision 2030, The Line will stretch around 150 kilometres. Nonetheless, according to the latest reports, there have been significant changes in the plan design. Although the Saudi Government has refuted all these claims, many are estimating that only 2.4 kilometres of the stretch will be ready by the end of 2030. Although the initial plan was that around 1.5 million people will live, according to the current status, it wouldn’t be ready. In fact, as per the stretch of The Line only 300,000 people are expected to live in Neom.
None of these however have been confirmed by the government. In fact, the officials are of the view that the original plans and objectives remain unchanged and they will also work towards completing the other parts of the Neom project within the deadline. The project will face numerous challenges and it is doing so. However, the government is putting in the efforts to ensure that the project will be ready thereby bringing growth and reducing a bit of dependency on oil of Saudi Arabia.
Other project included in NEOM
NEOM is not only The Line but this project is included inside a much wider vision of Saudi Arabia. The Line would be the main one and is also the most famous one at this time, burt we count a few more that are currently in development.
For example, Trojena. This NEOM project is a ski resort that will take place in the mountains of Saudi Arabia and that is supposed to host the 2029 Winter Asian Games. Oxagon is another big project of a floating industrial complex with the goal of facilitating the industry of Saudi Arabia by using the Red Sea.
The last one so far is called Sindalah and it’s literally a stunning luxury island designed to host a tourism hub. The island will be entirely created out of nothing and will include the world’s famous yachting places.
