Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
23-04-2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ambitious $500 billion Neom linear city project “The Line”, which was originally planned to be stretched for 170 kilometres, is set to be scaled down by 98.6%, according to The Cradle.
Bloomberg reported that instead of the original plan to cover an area of 170 kilometres and accommodate 1.5 million people, the project will now only span 2.4 kilometres with a population of only 30,000 residents,
The Line was part of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s (MBS) 2030 vision to tackle the challenges of urban living and promote alternative ways of life.
However, reports suggest that he has now decided to downsize the mega-project due to financial constraints. “The pullback on The Line comes as the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund has yet to approve Neom’s budget for 2024,” Bloomberg wrote, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
“It shows that the financial realities of the trillions of dollars of investment are starting to cause concern at the highest levels of the Saudi government as it tries to fulfil its ambitious Vision 2030 program, the overarching initiative tasked with diversifying the kingdom’s economy.”
The project has also been met with human rights concerns, as the construction would require the Howeitat tribe to be expelled from their lands in the Tabuk region.
A cognitive city stretching across 170 kilometers, from the epic mountains of NEOM across inspirational desert valleys to the beautiful Red Sea. A mirrored architectural masterpiece towering 500 meters above sea level, but a land-saving 200 meters wide. THE LINE redefines the concept of urban development and what cities of the future will look like.
“THE LINE will tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live. We cannot ignore the livability and environmental crises facing our world’s cities, and NEOM is at the forefront of delivering new and imaginative solutions to address these issues. NEOM is leading a team of the brightest minds in architecture, engineering and construction to make the idea of building upwards a reality.”
THE LINE will eventually accommodate 9 million people and will be built on a footprint of just 34 square kilometers. This will mean a reduced infrastructure footprint, creating never-before-seen efficiencies in city functions. The ideal climate all-year-round will ensure that residents can enjoy the surrounding nature. Residents will also have access to all daily essentials within a five-minute walk, in addition to high-speed rail with an end-to-end transit of 20 minutes.
The city will be zero-carbon, due to the elimination of unnecessary infrastructure, cars and roads. It will operate on 100% renewable energy, including the operations of its industries. The integration of nature and open spaces throughout will serve an important role in enhancing air quality.
All daily essentials will be accessible within a five-minute walk and an efficient public transport network will offer a rapid end-to-end journey. Automated services will be powered by artificial intelligence. Amenities in close proximity will mean residents see family and friends often through spontaneous encounters.
The Line (stylized THE LINE), a linear smart city under construction in Saudi Arabia in Neom, Tabuk Province, which is designed to have no cars, streets or carbon emissions. The city, initially planned to be 170-kilometre-long (110-mile), is one of the nine announced regions of Neom and is a part of Saudi Vision 2030 project, which Saudi Arabia claims will create around 460,000 jobs and add an estimated $48 billion to the country’s GDP. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
