Bizarre construction project in Saudi Arabia: 170-kilometer-long skyscraper to form a new city

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has set his sights on a very special construction project. By 2030, a building should be erected in the country that is no less than 170 kilometers long, 500 meters high and about 200 meters wide. The new city of Neom is to prepare the country for an oil-free era.

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Two skyscrapers built parallel to each other called The Line across a desert area will form the basis for ‘the most livable city on earth’. This was announced by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, in a presentation about the bizarre project that has changed direction several times since its very beginning in 2017. The building must become the epitome of modern construction.

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The Line is to be about 170 kilometers long, 500 meters high and 200 meters wide. © AFP

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According to the crown prince, the building would fit in with the current ‘livability and climate crisis’. According to him, Neom should be able to house 1.2 million inhabitants by 2030, and by 2045 that number should have grown to 9 million.

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The city must run 100 percent on renewable energy, and a ‘microclimate’ is created inside with ‘natural ventilation’, whatever that may mean. According to the prince, the city would fit in with Saudi Arabia’s ambition to be completely emission-free by 2060. For example, all energy in the car-free city must be generated in a climate-neutral way, for example through solar panels or hydrogen combustion. The Saudi climate goals have been questioned internationally for some time.

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All daily needs in Neom should be within 5 minutes walking distance. © AFP

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The main reason for building the new, narrow metropolis is to increase the population of Saudi Arabia, the prince explains. That would be necessary to save the country’s economy when oil supplies run out. “That is the main goal of Neom: to increase the capacity of Saudi Arabia so that we can get more citizens and residents. And since we have to build it from scratch, why would we copy normal cities?”

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In what zero-gravity urbanism mentioned, it is the intention that city parks, schools, shops and other facilities will be built one above the other in The Line. All daily needs are then a maximum of five minutes walking distance for all residents of the city. You should also be able to ski in the open air somewhere in the city, and there will be a high-speed train that can take you from one side of the city to the other in 20 minutes.

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With zero-gravity urbanism, it is the intention that facilities are built one above the other. © AFP

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The ‘first phase’ of the project, which should be completed in 2030, will cost 1.2 trillion Saudi riyals, or 316 billion euros, according to the crown prince. It is not known exactly what will have to be completed before that time. According to Neom’s board, the new city would create some 380,000 new jobs by the end of the decade “with the ultimate work-life balance.” Neom already has an airport.

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Of The Line will actually happen is still unclear. Earlier, the crown prince shared with the media that Saudi Arabia “needs its own pyramids” to maintain prestige in the world. The extravagant project seems to follow this vision, but its feasibility and affordability are at stake. A consultant who works closely with the Saudi government shares with the British newspaper The Guardian: ,,There is little access to the construction area, and it will only be eight years before the inhabitants should move there. That is a very big challenge to take on with such confidence.”

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