Why Is Saudi Arabia Building A 170 Km Long Linear City?

The Line: An Urban Project

In January 2021, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced ‘THE LINE’- an urban living plan stretching from the mountains of northwest Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea as a cornerstone of Saudi Vision 2030.

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An Eco-Friendly Metropolis

Unlike the other metropolises worldwide, the city of a million residents will be powered by 100% clean energy and will preserve 95% of nature within NEOM.

It aims to contribute 3,80,000 jobs in the future and USD 48 bn to domestic GDP by 2030.

A Revolution In Urban Living

The 170 km linear belt of hyper-connected Al-enabled communities will be built around nature and will have no roads and cars.

The city will be structured in three levels, where all essential daily services will be within a five-minute walk, and no journey will be longer than 20 minutes.

The Three Layers

The communities will be powered by Artificial Intelligence (Al) and will follow zero cars, zero street rules. It will also offer ultra-high-speed transit and autonomous mobility solutions that will make travel easier.

The three layers are following:

1. Pedestrian Layer
2. Service Layer
3. Spine Layer

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Redefining Sustainability

THE LINE will consist of carbon-positive urban developments with zero carbon emissions. It will be powered by 100% clean energy, providing pollution-free and sustainable environments for residents.

Work In Progress

Flagged off in quarter 1 of 2021, this project is one of the most complex and challenging infrastructure projects in history. NEOM expects the project would cost between $100 to $200 billion.

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