Saudi Arabia’s £1.2 trillion plan to revolutionise the way people live is being re-evaluated to see if it’s even possible.
The Line, a futuristic city in the desert, was meant to transform the sands into a solar-powered city of 9 million people across a 105-mile stretch of mirror-clad skyscrapers from the mountains to the Red Sea.
Some 1.5 million of these inhabitants were supposed to be settled by 2030, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hoped it would rival the pyramids of Egypt as an icon of timeless grandiosity.
But this week, the project has entered a new phase of evaluation. External consultants are reportedly in talks to see if the project is still feasible.
After pouring millions into the project, the country might have to take a step back as the price of oil fell, increasing the country’s deficit.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Neom explained: ‘As is typical with large-scale, multiyear projects, strategic reviews are common practice and occur several times over the course of a major development project or infrastructure program.
‘The Line remains a strategic priority and Neom is focused on maintaining operational continuity, improving efficiencies and accelerating progress to match the overall vision and objectives of the project.’
Previously, one investor started to dismiss people working on the site, according to a document seen by Bloomberg.
Further employee dismissals on the project could happen if Saudi continues to reckon with its current financial situation.
It comes as last year, Giles Pendleton, COO for The Line, shared images of The Line to check ‘naysayers’ who doubted the plans would ever become reality.
If the city is created, it would become the most densely populated place on earth, seven times more cramped than Singapore or Hong Kong.
Such a scale-back has rattled those constructing an AI oasis for the uber-rich. These include an eight-sided port and an industrial city floating on the Red Sea right at the edge of Neom.
Another lavish investment is the luxury tourist island of Sindalah, also made by Neom, which boasts a global yachting hub.
But the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund is yet to approve this year’s budget for Neom’s city and its tech revolution.
Announced in 2021, the vision for Neom – also known as The Line – is a city full of green spaces, free of cars and with all your daily needs within a five-minute walk.
More than 100 million cubic metres of sand have already been moved as contractors excavate a 75-mile canyon in the desert.
Through the middle will run a tree-lined canal between the towering lines of skyscrapers.
There’ll be a marina for its residents’ superyachts, a members-only beach club, a luxury golf resort, and a sports stadium 1,000ft above ground.
As if that wasn’t enough pampered living, there’ll even be a network of robots and AI to make their lives even easier.
Issues with the proposed mega-city
Despite claims that the hanging glass apartments will ‘offer points of connection between humans and nature’, critics have accused Neom of posing a threat to both people and animals.
Tribes have been cleared to make way for its construction. Security forces have been accused of shooting dead a resident.
And bird experts warn it will be a ‘death trap’ for millions of birds migrating between Europe and Africa each year.
‘Birds flying into tall windows is a serious problem, and this is a building that is 500m high going across Saudi Arabia, with windmills on top,’ Professor William Sutherland, director of research in Cambridge University’s zoology department, told The Times.
‘It’s also kind of like a mirror, so you don’t really see it. So unless they do something about it, there’s a serious risk that there could be lots of damage to migratory birds.’
That’s if the futuristic plans ever become more than just a line in the sand.
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