Saudi Arabia has officially begun construction on it’s own ambitious $500 billion project called ‘The Line’, a revolutionary city that will have no roads, no cars and no pollution.
As part of the country’s vision 2030 plan, the futuristic city is designed to be a 170 KM-long linear metropolis within the NEOM region, built to run entirely on renewable energy. The city promises that all essential services will be within five minute walk for residents, and a high speed rail will allow end-to-end travel in just 20 minutes.
The first phase, known as Hidden Marina, will stretch 2.5 KM and house around 200,000 to 300,000 residents by 2030. construction has already begun on over 1000 foundation pillars, and a massive eco-friendly concrete factory is now operational.
Despite initial plans to house over a million people by 2030, the scale has been reduced due to financial and logistical challenges. Only 1% of the city is expected to be complete by the target year.
Still, the line stands as a bold vision of what cities could look like in the future. With no traditional streets or vehicles, it aims to combine cutting edge technology, sustainability, and urban efficiency in a single, vertical layout. However, the project has also faced criticism over environmental concerns, budget cuts, and the displacement of local tribes, casting doubt on how much of this vision will be realized.
