Touted as a revolution in urban living, Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city known as THE LINE—part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 strategy—has been hit by issues with costs pressures, job cuts and delays.   The half-trillion-dollar high-tech city planned for the northwest of the kingdom was intended to offer a futuristic and environmentally friendly way to house 9 million people when the proposal was unveiled in 2021. 

However, fluctuating oil prices and budget shortfalls have led to a strategic review of the ambitious plans that are part of the NEOM development project, according to reports.

THE LINE was one of the flagship projects for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he pushes to diversify Saudi Arabia’s oil-reliant economy.  

Amid a lack of public information about the project, a unit of the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund is asking the firms to review whether current plans are feasible and to suggest possible changes, the outlet reported.  

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