The world’s largest earthworks, millions of work hours, and huge sums of money have all gone into pursuing the dream of a supertall mirrored desert city in Saudi Arabia. However, a recent report suggests it might all turn out to be a mirage.
The original vision for the Line was a 170-km (105-mile)-long lineal city stretching across vast swathes of remote landscape that would host roughly the same population as New York City. It was always a big ask, and many people were skeptical, but Saudi Arabian authorities were serious and moved mountains of earth to remake the landscape and turn the vision into reality.
Neom
However, issues quickly arose, with reports of rising costs and a drastic scaling down of ambitions. Now those ambitions have apparently been scaled down even further. According to global news site Semafor, the project has now been placed on hold until “at least 2030.” Whether the pause truly proves temporary or effectively marks a cancelation remains to be seen. Trojena, the mountain resort due to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, will also not receive new investments until after 2030, says the report.
In the meantime, Saudi Arabia is instead focusing on more practical and immediate goals. The report adds that officials plan to continue to develop the burgeoning industrial port city Oxagon, which has taken on increased importance due to the recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The news follows a strategic review of the current state of Neom by the company’s new chief executive Aiman al-Mudaifer.
Neom
Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, the Mukaab project has also been dropped. However, it’s not all bad news for the oil-rich desert kingdom as its Qiddiya City is still well underway and has opened a theme park. Additionally, the JEC Tower, the future world’s tallest skyscraper, is rising fast.
Source: Semafor
