Aerial photography company Ot Sky photographed THE LINE, a megacity under construction in Saudi Arabia, showing preparations for the construction of an underground transportation system.
According to Ot Sky data, Saudi Arabia has begun to build a huge future city THE LINE. It can be seen that construction vehicles and delivery vehicles are constantly going back and forth, and engineers are also investigating the site.
THE LINE is NEOM’s human-centred future city concept, published by Prince and NEOM Board Chairman Mohammed bin Salman in January 2021, as part of Saudi Vision 2030. Housing about 9 million inhabitants, it covers an area of 170 square kilometers with public buildings, park levels, pedestrian spaces, schools, residential areas and work areas.
The line – which will stretch across the northeast of the country from the Red Sea – will be 200 meters wide, 500 meters long, 170 kilometers long and will be located 500 meters above sea level.
This project is part of Vision 2030, a Saudi program aimed at diversifying the Kingdom’s economy, as well as reforming sectors such as tourism, infrastructure and education.
The Line will also be part of another futuristic Saudi city, NEOM, located in the Tabuk region: “NEOM will be a destination, a home for people who dream big and want to participate in building a new model of life. , sustainable work and prosperity,” writes the project’s website.
NEOM invests in the Metaverse and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Thus, thanks to the metaverse, everyone will be able to visit NEOM virtually before investing in the city. Similarly, this technology will also expand to The Line, which will feature robots and holograms.
Trojena and Oxagon
EOM will host an airport, seaport, industrial centers, research, sports and training facilities. In addition to The Line, the Saudi authorities presented two projects that will be included in the worst case: Trojena and Oxagon.
Trojena, which is presented as “the mountain of Neom”, will be able to enjoy natural landscapes and practice snow sports like skiing thanks to technology and innovation. It is for this reason that it was chosen to host the Asian Winter Games in 2029, which explains why the project must be completed a few years earlier, in 2026.
As Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pointed out, “Trojena will redefine mountain tourism by creating a bond based on the principles of ecotourism, underscoring our efforts to preserve nature and improve the quality of life.”
Oxagon will be the industrial and technological center of NEOM. This project will be implemented by bringing together “state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 and circular economy approaches to create factories of the future for products of the future”.
Mohammed bin Salman said that;
“This project will contribute to Saudi Arabia’s trade and redefine the global approach to industrial development in the future”
The cost of the “first phase”, which extends until 2030, is estimated at 1,200 billion Saudi riyals (about 319 billion dollars), according to its promoters. Other forecasts value the project at over one trillion dollars (1,000 billion).
The project is already arousing multiple criticisms for its impact on the ecosystem and local populations, its environmental footprint and the societal issues that could arise from it. Death sentences have reportedly already been handed down by Saudi courts against opponents of the project who refuse to be expropriated from their homes.
