Saudi Arabia’s $800 billion city corridor is starting to reveal its first signs of life in the Tabuk region. ‘The Line’ is 170 km long vertical city that aims to house up nine million people. Read more in the article below.
Hidden Marina: The First Completed Segment
Central to the current construction is the Hidden Marina, spanning just 2.4 km—significantly less than the overall Line length. Satellite updates confirm that this marina, with plans for hotels, residences, schools, shops, and even a harbor for cruise vessels, is the most visible sign of progress . While intended to serve 200,000 residents by 2030, it’s a modest trace of the original 1.5 million target.
Project Delays and Purpose Redefinition
Despite its grand ambitions, The Line is facing critical delays and financial recalibration. Reports show the full structure might not be completed until 2045, with the initial 5 km segment housing just 300,000 people—far below the initial plans. Saudi officials have acknowledged a “comprehensive review” of the project, aimed at assessing timelines, feasibility, and priorities amid mounting budget pressures.
Scaling Back: From Million-People Hub to Ultra-Exclusive Resort?
Several sources suggest the Line may be evolving into more of a luxury resort than a mass urban space. Consultant Chris Hables Gray asserts it’s being designed for high-net-worth visitors, not the general public. This shift hints at a strategic rebranding of NEOM as a showcase project for wealthy global elites rather than a model for sustainable city living.
Controversies & Human Rights
Critique has shadowed the megaproject from inception. Indigenous Huwaitat tribes were displaced from ancestral lands within the NEOM territory—with reports of violent crackdowns on dissenting voices. Furthermore, construction worker conditions have come under scrutiny: allegations, including a figure of over 21,000 migrant deaths since Vision 2030 began, have surfaced—though officials dispute that number. The Line’s massive mirrored facade and sleek geometry raise serious ecological and architectural objections. Critics highlight its disruption of wildlife habitats and its enormous carbon footprint due to steel, glass, and concrete use. Additionally, the city’s design involves intensive surveillance technologies and AI management systems—raising alarms about privacy, ethics, and whether such utopian tech can coexist with local culture and common living arrangements .
Strategic Shift: Sports & Events as Anchors
In response to rising costs, NEOM planners have reprioritised to focus on high-profile venues—such as a 2034 World Cup stadium within The Line and the Trojena winter resort for the 2029 Asian Winter Games. This pivot underscores a desire to ground the megacity in international sports and tourism momentum rather than purely speculative housing figures.
What Lies Ahead?
Completion timeline: First central segment (approx. 5 km) expected by 2030, full buildout by 2045—a massive delay from initial targets.
- Project review: Authorities are evaluating which segments to accelerate, scale down, or reprioritise .
- Sustainability test: Will environmental concerns and tech promises be balanced with ethical, financial, and ecological realities?
Final Take
The Line stands as both a bold leap into futuristic urban design and a cautionary tale of megaproject hubris. With just a sliver of its vast vision realised, NEOM now finds itself reassessing grand assumptions—balancing reserve luxury models, sports-driven targeting, and international scrutiny over human, environmental, and fiscal viability. It remains one of the world’s most ambitious—and most contested—urban experiments.
