WORK has begun on Saudi Arabia’s £1 trillion crown jewel megacity project of a 106-mile long sideways skyscraper.
The Line was set to house 1.5 million people by the 2030 but will now be home to just 300,000 and stretch just 2.4km as the first phase of the NEOM project has been unveiled.
@neom / instagramThe $140 billion Hidden Marina is in the early stages of development as a key part of Saudi Arabia’s The Line (concept image)[/caption]
@neom / instagramThe futuristic project includes a 500-meter mirrored tower and extends over 2.5 kilometres, combining luxury living with sustainable innovation (concept image)[/caption]
ShutterstockThe 106 miles-long liner skyscraper will not be finished in the next 50 years (concept image)[/caption]
Building the $140 billion Hidden Marina is the first part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s Red Coast city of “civilisational revolution”.
It is said to run from east to west across the Neom region, clad with mirrored facades.
Denis Hickey, Chief Development Officer of NEOM, announced the first phase at the PIF Private Sector Forum in Riyadh.
He announced: “The project, a bold step in redefining urban living, will introduce a fully integrated, vertical city built in modular 800-meter sections.
“Hidden Marina, the first segment of THE LINE, will stretch 2.5 kilometers in length and rise 500 meters high.
“The development will comprise three interconnected modules and is expected to accommodate over 200,000 residents.”
Hickey explained that the area will span over 21 million square meters and will “dwarf global benchmarks” as over 140,000 builders set to work on the major vanity project.
The Hidden Marina is set to have more than 80,000 apartments and 9,000 hotel rooms as well as retail areas, fire stations, schools, police, and security services.
Given the name of the first segment, there will also be a man-made marina serving The Line and even a stadium for the 2034 World Cup and a synthetic ski resort.
Satellite images show a chasm for the futuristic city carved out of mountains and desert as excavation works continued along the country’s northwestern coast.
Futuristic computer-generated images of what the Marina is set to look like shows the vast space full of yachts and cruise liners parked inside a sleek, rectangular marina.
The vertical city can be seen behind it, which ships pass through to get to the sea.
It will have “all the necessary infrastructure to support a self-sustaining city”, Hickey said.
Over $140 billion has been poured into the development of infrastructure to make sure the metropolis is supported with energy, water, transport, data and communications.
@neom / instagramWork on the Hidden Marina marks the first major phase of the groundbreaking megacity[/caption]
Planet LabsAerial pics show the initial work on the Line project[/caption]
YouTube/NEOMThe mirrored mega structure looks like something out of a sci-fi film[/caption]
The eco-city is set to harness AI and run entirely on clean energy with no cars or carbon emissions.
“NEOM is not just a city but an urban revolution designed to push boundaries, redefine economies, and establish a new standard for future urban development,” he said.
“With construction on track, NEOM’s vision of a fully integrated, futuristic metropolis is rapidly becoming a reality.”
The first phase, the Hidden Marina, is scheduled to be completed in 2030, when the entire 106-mile long project was initially thought to be ready.
Last June it was reported that the project was a fifth of the way to completion after breaking ground in April 2022.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman hoped construction of the full project would be completed by 2030
instagramThe first phase is set to cost a whopping $140 billion[/caption]
The Minister of Finance Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan later admitted that it is a “50-plus-year-plan”.
Giles Pendleton, the executive director of The Line told Alarabiya News that the work on the Hidden Marina “is currently the most extensive infrastructure excavation project in the world”.
But, despite Saudi fuelling billions of dollars into these mega projects, many of them are being built at the cost of human lives.
More than 21,000 workers have died in just eight years since Mohammed bin Salman launched his Saudi Vision 2030 project, according to shocking statistics.
Staff have complained of feeling like “trapped slaves” and “beggars” in the country.
Serious allegations of missed payments, working illegal hours and a number of clear human rights violations have all been made.
Top 5 blunders plaguing NEOM project
BY Juliana Cruz Lima, Foreign News Reporter
Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project, despite its ambitious vision, has been criticized for several major blunders that have raised concerns about its feasibility, ethics, and overall execution.
Here are the top five major blunders associated with the project:
Forced Displacement of Indigenous Communities: One of the most significant controversies surrounding NEOM is the forced displacement of the Huwaitat tribe.
This indigenous community, which has lived in the area for centuries, was forcibly removed from their ancestral lands to make way for the development of the mega-city.
The Saudi government’s crackdown on those who resisted, including the killing of a tribal leader, Abdul Rahim al-Howeiti, has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organisations.
This blunder not only sparked international outrage but also tainted NEOM’s image as a forward-thinking, humane project.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability Concerns: NEOM has been marketed as an environmentally sustainable city, but the environmental impact of such a massive development is a major concern.
The project’s scale—covering over 26,500 square kilometers—poses significant risks to local ecosystems, particularly in the Red Sea, which is home to rich marine biodiversity.
Critics argue that the construction of artificial islands and extensive urbanisation could lead to irreversible ecological damage.
The enormous water and energy demands required to maintain a green city in the desert also raise questions about the project’s sustainability.
Economic Viability and Cost Overruns: NEOM is one of the most expensive development projects in history.
But there are serious doubts about its economic viability. Critics question whether the project can attract the necessary foreign investment and whether it will generate sufficient returns to justify the enormous expenditure.
The economic risks are further compounded by potential cost overruns and delays, which are common in megaprojects of this scale.
This financial gamble has led some to worry that NEOM could become a costly white elephant if it fails to meet its ambitious goals.
Technological Overreach and Ethical Concerns: NEOM is envisioned as a high-tech city, heavily reliant on artificial intelligence, robotics, and extensive surveillance systems.
While this technological ambition is central to NEOM’s identity, it also raises significant ethical concerns. The level of surveillance planned for the city could lead to unprecedented control over residents’ lives, sparking fears about privacy and civil liberties.
The lack of transparency about how AI will be used, coupled with concerns about job displacement, has also led to criticism that NEOM’s technological vision may be more dystopian than utopian.
Cultural and Social Disconnect: NEOM’s vision of a futuristic, liberalized society clashes sharply with Saudi Arabia’s deeply conservative cultural norms.
The project plans to introduce mixed-gender sports, entertainment events, and other liberal lifestyle elements that are rare in the kingdom.
This cultural shift has raised concerns about a potential clash between NEOM’s globalised vision and the traditional values of Saudi society.
The disconnect between the project’s ambitions and the broader cultural context has led to skepticism about whether NEOM can truly integrate into Saudi Arabia’s social fabric without causing significant friction.
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