Saudi Arabia’s epic 100-mile long megacity might never be completed

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestylePlans for the 500-metre tall parallel structures known as The Line (NEOM)Saudi Arabia's ambitious "The Line" megacity project, a cornerstone of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030, is being significantly scaled back. Initially planned as a 170km-long linear city for 9 million people, the revised scheme will now span only a few miles and house 300,000 residents. The decision to downsize stems from financial pressures, with a Saudi official admitting the kingdom "spent too much" and is "running deficits". This "course correction" is linked to the financial impact of an oil bust, as oil prices have not consistently reached previous highs since 2022. The shift reflects a broader reprioritisation of Saudi Arabia's investment strategy, potentially favouring artificial intelligence and data centres, alongside commitments like the 2034 men's football World Cup. In fullEnd of The Line? Saudi Arabia scales back plan for wildly ambitious 100-mile-long megacity in the desertThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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