Plans for Saudi Arabia's ambitious desert megacity, the Line, have been significantly scaled back, with the project expected to reach just one and a half miles by 2030, down from its originally envisioned 105-mile length. The reduction comes as at least one contractor begins dismissing workers on the project, which forms the centrepiece of the wider Neom development.
The Line, part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's economic plan to reduce reliance on oil, was touted as a glass-walled, mirror-clad linear city that would eventually house about nine million people. Its total cost was estimated at $1.5 trillion (£1.2 trillion). However, the project has faced scepticism and criticism, including over the reported execution of members of the Howeitat tribe who protested its construction on ancestral lands.
Reports of the prince's changing vision, budget overspends, and a revolving roster of key staff have plagued the project, with some describing it as "untethered from reality". According to Bloomberg, the scaling back coincides with delays in approving the 2024 budget for Neom from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, amid declining cash reserves.
Promotional presentations had depicted the Line as a science-fiction-like city running inland from the Gulf of Aqaba, with amenities within walking distance and high-speed trains connecting districts. The project was marketed as a "cognitive city" and "civilisation revolution" powered by artificial intelligence. Prince Mohammed described it as tackling urban living challenges, but critics remain unconvinced.
Journalist Robert Worth wrote in the New York Times that the prince's promotional video reflected "a distinctively Saudi form of arrogance, blending religious triumphalism and royal grandiosity". The prince has also faced accusations over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
