Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announces ‘THE LINE’ designs in NEOM

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the designs of “THE LINE” city in NEOM, which represented a pioneering global model that achieves sustainability and the ideal of living in harmony with nature, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Monday.

The Crown Prince had launched in January last year the initial idea and vision of the city that redefines the concept of urban development and what cities of the future should look like.

“The designs of THE LINE embody how urban communities will be in the future in an environment free from roads, cars and emissions. It will run on 100 percent renewable energy and prioritize people's health and well-being over transportation and infrastructure as in traditional cities,” SPA reported.

“It puts nature ahead of development and will contribute to preserving 95 percent of NEOM’s land.”

The announcement reveals the most important characteristics of THE LINE, which is only 200 meters wide, 170 kilometers long and 500 meters above sea level.

“THE LINE will eventually accommodate 9 million residents and will be built on a footprint of 34 square kilometers, which is unheard of when compared to other cities of similar capacity. This in turn will reduce the infrastructure footprint and create never-before-seen efficiencies in city functions. Its ideal climate all year round will ensure that residents can enjoy surrounding nature when walking around,” according to SPA.

“Residents will also have access to all facilities in THE LINE within a five-minute walk, in addition to a high-speed rail with an end-to-end transit of 20 minutes.”

According to the Crown Prince, during THE LINE’s launch last year, “we committed to a civilizational revolution that puts humans first based on a radical change in urban planning.”

The latest designs revealed “will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability,” the Saudi Crown Prince said. “THE LINE will tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live.”

He also said the livability and environmental crises facing the world’s cities cannot be ignored.

“NEOM is at the forefront of delivering new and imaginative solutions to address these issues. NEOM is leading a team of the brightest minds in architecture, engineering and construction to make the idea of building upwards a reality,” the Crown Prince said.

“NEOM will be a place for all people from across the globe to make their mark on the world in creative and innovative ways. NEOM remains one of the most important projects of Saudi Vision 2030, and our commitment to delivering THE LINE on behalf of the nation remains resolute,” the Crown Prince said.

According to SPA, THE LINE offers a new approach to urban design. The concept includes layering city functions vertically while giving people the option of moving up, down or across seamlessly for access. This concept is referred to as Zero Gravity Urbanism.

It differs from regular tall buildings in that Zero Gravity Urbanism layers public parks and pedestrian areas, schools, homes and places for work, “so that one can move effortlessly to reach all daily needs within five minutes.”

“THE LINE will have an outer mirror facade that will provide its unique character and allow even its small footprint to blend with nature, while the interior will be built to create extraordinary experiences and magical moments. It will be created by a team of world-renowned architects and engineers, led by NEOM, to develop this revolutionary concept for the city of the future,” SPA reported.

“In order to change business as usual, the city’s design will reportedly be completely digitized, and the construction industrialized to a large degree by significantly advancing construction technologies and manufacturing processes. The announcement of THE LINE’s designs is a continuation of NEOM’s progress in the development of its flagship projects such as OXAGON, its reimagined manufacturing and innovation city; and TROJENA, its global mountain tourism destination that will offer the Arabian Gulf’s first outdoor skiing; as well as the launch of two of NEOM’s subsidiaries: ENOWA, its energy, water and hydrogen company; and the NEOM Tech & Digital Company.”

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

Read more:

NEOM’s ‘THE LINE:’ An environmentally friendly, car-free city in Saudi Arabia

Red Sea expedition in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM reveals new species

NEOM Tech & Digital Holding Company and OneWeb sign $200 mln JV for satellite network