NEOM is known for its ambitious projects, but has THE LINE proven to be too ambitious to reach completion? With a number of reports on the progress (or lack thereof), Saudi Arabia’s walled city has come under scrutiny yet again for having unrealistic targets… When Saudi Arabia unveiled THE LINE in 2021, the megacity was positioned as the crown jewel of NEOM – the $500 billion, futurist region at the heart of Vision 2030.

The original concept was audacious: a mirrored city extending 170km through the desert, 500m high and 200m wide, designed to house nine million residents and eliminate cars, emissions, and sprawling infrastructure altogether. It promised a radically new way to live, plan, and experience urban life.

The original architectural vision – a continuous mirrored façade encapsulating residential, commercial, and recreational spaces stacked across multiple levels – remains foundational to THE LINE’s identity. When first unveiled, NEOM described THE LINE as providing “all facilities within a five-minute walk” and connecting residents via a 20-minute end-to-end high-speed rail, entirely powered by renewable energy. 

The estimated costs of THE LINE have ballooned far beyond early projections. Internal evaluations – including a Wall Street Journal analysis – have suggested the final total for THE LINE might stretch into the trillions of dollars, far exceeding the original $500 billion valuation and challenging the Saudi government’s ability to fund without significant private investment.

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