The smart city, which is planned to be entirely made of glass and have flying taxis, has experienced major setbacks.
The Line is planned city designed to accommodate nine million people (Image: Neom)
Saudi Arabia is in the middle of a megaproject involving the construction of a linear city powered by renewable energy sources. The city, known as the Line, is meant to provide an "unprecedented urban living experience" whilst preserving the surrounding nature. It has been described as a "civilization revolution that puts humans first" and is part of a wider project called Neom - an archaeology and planned city in the Tabuk Province.
The smart city will be housed in one single building with an exterior made out of complete glass mirror and will span 170 kilometres, reaching a height of 500 metres. It is also expected to accommodate a huge nine million people, with basic services aimed to be within a five-minute walking distance. Plans for the Line were announced in 2021, with Business Insider reporting this plan, the world's largest construction project, could cost up to $2trillion (approximately £1.5 trillion).
Villages were cleared to make space for the construction of the smart city (Image: Business Insider via YouTube)
The Line is part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plan, which aims to diversify the country's economy away from fossil fuels and into sports, entertainment, technology, and tourism.
Satellite images analysed by Business Insider have revealed the incredible scale of the city, which Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman reportedly wants to be visible with the naked eye from space.
The before and after satellite images not only show construction equipment, including trucks and excavators, as well as the building of towns, but also reveal "villages that have been wiped from the map."
Since the beginning of the construction in October 2021, satellite imagery has shown a "giant scar" which cuts inland from the Red Sea, right through the mountains and out the other side. Despite, the obvious mark, there is very little sign of buildings being erected.
Latest imagery reveals some progress being made on the city (Image: Business Insider via YouTube)
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Along with the city, flying taxis and a high-speed train that will take passengers from one end of the Line to the other in 20 minutes, are also meant to be on the cards.
Though, constructing this futuristic city has proven to not be so straightforward. In May 2023, there was evidence of construction taking place across the Line, however just a year later a report by Bloomberg revealed that the plan was being scaled back with workers being dismissed.
More recently, the images do show less activity on the ground and it is expected only 2.4 kilometres of the line will be completed by 2030 instead of the full 170 kilometres.
However, progress on the marina, which will allow residents to sail underneath the city right into the sea, has been visible in the latest imagery. According to Neom, it will take 100 years to eventually fill the line.
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