Daily Times

Saudi Arabia is planning to add an element of science fiction in its innovative city, Neom. It will include a linear smart city, The Line – an architectural wonder like no other. The Line will be a one-building city having space for nine-million people. The structure will be composed of two parallel walls stretching nearly 170 kilometers. They will be 200 meters wide and 500 meters above sea level. The city will be the next wonder of the world that will be a carbon-free zone running on renewable energy. A large area of the land will be reserved for nature. As per reports, the first phase of Neom will cost nearly 1.2 trillion Saudi riyals. While the features of Neom are innovative, it is yet to be seen if The Line, an urban utopia, will sustain in the era of rising inflation and economic instability. The plan is so extensive that its actual implementation remains a question. As planned, The Line will have three regions: coastal desert, mountain, and the upper valley. It will have natural ventilation along with amenities including retail, office, health, leisure, culture, education, hospitality, and residential. The Line is an ambitious project attempting to diversity the country’s economy that has been dependent on oil for decades.

Neom was first announced in 2017. Ever since then it has been making waves for its unique infrastructural ideas and a law that will be of its own. Spread across 26,500 square kilometers, Neom will be the advanced city of the future. According to Robert Mogielnicki of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington “The concept has morphed so much from its early conception that it’s sometimes hard to determine its direction: scaling down, scaling up, or making an aggressive turn sideways.”

There are widespread views that the strict laws of Saudi Arabia and the modern rules of Neom will be in paradox with each other. One wonders how will the religious scholars and Ulemas of the country will view this project and its consequences on the region.

The Line will also provide Saudi Arabia a competitive edge over Dubai as a travel destination. In an attempt to achieve rebranding, Saudi Arabia is endeavoring to bring innovation to its socioeconomic fabric. Indeed, this will create employment opportunities and build collaborations with foreign partners serving as investors, it will also uplift the economic status. However, the post-pandemic era and economic uncertainty at various levels having a global and regional reach will determine the future of Neom and The Line. However, if and when completed, Neom will add value to the regional economy. Apart from local and international investors, The Neom is supported by the Saudi government and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is personally looking after this sovereign wealth fund. As per the reports and images of Neom and The Line, the infrastructures will blend modern technology with lifestyle. It will be a cross between our present and the future, therefore, changing how we have been building cities.

The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist