Located in a desert Northwest of Saudi Arabia, ‘The Line’ is a linear city that will be built on an area of just 34 square kms, and intends to eventually accommodate over nine million people.
Here are 5 facts you need to know about the sci-fi mega city:
1/ The 170 km belt of “hyper-connected future communities” will be part of the country’s Neom urban mega-project – the $500-billion epicenter of the Saudi Vision 2030 scheme, which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hopes will drive the kingdom’s long-term diversification away from oil.
2/ With a reduced infrastructure footprint, The Line will have no roads, cars or emissions, running on 100% renewable energy with 95% of land preserved for nature. The city is built to focus on health and well-being over transportation and infrastructure.
3/ The Line will prioritise “ultra-high-speed transit and autonomous mobility solutions” to ensure no journey takes longer than 20 minutes.
“We need to transform the concept of a conventional city into that of a futuristic one,” bin Salman, said in a statement. “Why should we sacrifice nature for the sake of development? Why should seven million people die every year because of pollution?”
4/ The Line is a part of a larger NEOM urban mega-project, which will become a hub of renewable energy generation, derived from wind, solar and green hydrogen, as well as a development ground for smart technologies that will facilitate the transition to a low-carbon energy system.
5/ Last year, Riyadh confirmed plans to develop “the world’s largest green hydrogen project” at NEOM, through a $5 billion venture that is expected to produce 650 tonnes of the fuel per day by 2025.
Once the plant at NEOM is operational by 2026, 100% of the green hydrogen produced will be available for global export, in the form of ammonia, through an exclusive long-term agreement with Air Products.
