THE LINE is deemed as the next big step in city living as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pushes on with the 1st phase of construction to bring forth its success. THE LINE is a huge mirrored skyscraper laid on its side across the desert in the northwestern region of the Kingdom. The project has been termed as part of humanity’s evolution, with others envisioning the progress as steps towards a dystopian future. Recent developments in NEOM include the change in leadership, while THE LINE names new project partners.
THE LINE fact sheet
THE LINE will stretch 170 km, span a width of 200 meters, and rise to a height of 500 meters. The current phase of the project will span 2.4 km – accommodating around 300,000 people. Upon completion of the whole 170 km stretch, the city will accommodate up to 9 million people.
The project is expected to come to an end by the year 2030 and the whole project team is geared towards achieving this deadline. This comes about despite speculations that THE LINE could take up to 50 years to build.
NEOM leadership changes
In press release dated 12th of Nov, the NEOM Board of Directors named Eng. Al-Mudaifer as Acting CEO of the company. He previously oversaw local real estate investments and infrastructure projects at PIF (Public Investment Fund). Now as the Acting CEO, he will steer-head one of the fundamental pillars of Saudi Vision 2030 – NEOM. The new leadership will now oversee NEOM’s vast project portfolio as they make progress.
Also read about Sindalah’s recent highlights here: NEOM’s Sindalah: Gateway to the Red Sea
Named partners for THE LINE
In press release dated the 11th, the project leadership announced new partners that will handle different construction aspects in THE LINE.
Delugan Meissi Associate Architect (DMAA) was named as the Urban Designer. DMAA will handle the concept and details of the master-plan. Approaches used will include micro-climate adaptation, mobility, logistics, and sustainability. The backbone of the design will be to challenge the traditional city planning conventions – something the NEOM aims to change.
US firm Gensler, known for the world’s third tallest building – the Shanghai Tower, will handle the City Planning Consultancy. Alongside this will be providing and oversee planning policy and framework development, land use, and design compliance in the city. The US firm will also handle the city’s asset design architect aspects. This will include the overseeing of essential infrastructure like transport hubs, public spaces.
Mott MacDonald was named as the city’s Infrastructure Engineer. Vertical and horizontal structures, and utility systems control will be under the firms jurisdiction. The infrastructure engineer will focus on the city’s efficiency. Within its scope will be a check on the sustainability of the city. This is aimed at the maintenance of the feasibility, or practicality, of the urban city.
The named partners for THE LINE, or, “The world-leading city design and engineering expertise”, as put by the THE LINE Chief Development Officer, Denis Hickey, will collaborate to bring to light innovation that “reflects NEOM’s vision and global ambition.”
Progress on THE LINE
Denis Hickey, through the a press release, revealed updates that showed the pictures and videos of the construction works on the project in late February. “It is quite clear according to the plan that has been outlined by his Royal Highness and I think everyone has been galvanized within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Indeed, NEOM is the pinnacle of an example of that transition and it is quite exciting to be a part of it,” he added – back in February.
As of November, THE LINE CDO revealed that more than 120 foundation pile are cast into the ground in a week at the Phase 1 site. The statement also mentions that THE LINE will soon be, “the largest piling operation ever conceived”.
The next step from this will be the planning and design of the city’s neighborhoods. This will still be in phase one, and will be handled by architects starting early 2025.
The stadium atop THE LINE
Sitting 350 meters above the 500-meter linear city will be the 46,000-seat stadium with captivating vistas. The stadium is set to offer an experience like no other during the 2034 FIFA world cup. This will suffice only if the bid submitted to the governing body of association football – FIFA, gets approved. Along with the stadium, other exclusive projects in THE LINE include the hidden marina, hotels, and training pitches. Some sources also speculate that the stadium will be home to the newly formed Saudi professional team. The new stadium will prospectively supplement the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium for the 2034 world cup.
Also read about the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium’s Renovations for the 2034 World Cup
Overview of the Project
The scope of the project is quite enormous and is being championed by the Crown Prince. This comes about as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia seeks alternative ways to up its GDP without over-reliance on oil. The Crown Prince announced that NEOM is set to showcase a new way of life in the coming future, as the project will be environment friendly and is expected to run solely on renewable energy. The sophisticated design ecosystem is set to deliver urban ecosystem objectives.
Also read about the Ready-Mix concrete facility for THE LINE here: US$186M Ready-Mix Concrete Facility for THE LINE
