By Staff Writer

More of this topic

Posted inGalleries

In Pictures: Saudi Arabia’s NEOM under construction as futuristic 170km long city takes shape in the desert

The linear city, which is being built in the kingdom’s north-west Tabuk province, saw excavators digging a wide trench in the desert

By Staff Writer
The Line, which will have a mirror façade, is set to be 500 metres tall, accommodating nine million people and will be built on a footprint of 34 square kilometres

Saudi Arabia’s upcoming mega project ‘The Line’ is now under construction.

The 170-kilometre linear city, which is being built in the kingdom’s north-west Tabuk province, saw excavators digging a wide trench in the desert.

The Line, which will have a mirror façade, is set to be 500 metres tall, accommodating nine million people and will be built on a footprint of 34 square kilometres.

Inside NEOM’s THE LINE: Saudi Arabia’s 170km city cutting straight through the desert

The project is part of the $500 billion NEOM project, a futuristic city with a mixed-use development, containing spaces for work, play and living.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “The Line” will embody “Zero Gravity Urbanism,” where city functions are layered vertically.

“The designs revealed today for the city’s vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability,” he said in a statement.

With a reduced infrastructure footprint, The Line will have no roads, cars or emissions, running on 100 percent renewable energy with 95 percent of land preserved for nature
 The city is being built to prioritise health and well-being over transportation and infrastructure
The city will be 200 metres wide but 170 kilometres long and 500 meters above sea level with ideal climate throughout the year and a high-speed rail offering residents end-to-end transit in 20 minutes
The city will be zero-carbon, through the elimination of carbon-intensive infrastructure like cars and roads
The integration of nature and open spaces throughout will serve an important role in purifying air quality
Everything necessary for daily living will be accessible within a five-minute walk and an efficient public transport network will offer an end-to-end journey in just 20 minutes
 The green open spaces throughout the city will enhance the comfort for those living, working and visiting the city
With the project, over 380,000 jobs are expected to be created by 2030

Follow us on

For all the latest business news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.