THE LINE is a real, officially announced development concept in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM region, but its defining 170-kilometer vision is an ambition—not a completed city or a confirmed near-term construction program. NEOM now describes development as phased and demand-led; recent reporting says the project’s scope and schedule have shifted substantially. Saudi officials have said projects were postponed, not cancelled, and that THE LINE need not be finished by 2030.
What is THE LINE?
THE LINE is a proposed linear urban development within NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s planned region on the Red Sea. It is often described as a mirrored skyscraper, but the 2022 vision was not one conventional tower: it was a 170-kilometer-long city with mirrored exterior façades, designed to accommodate communities along its length.
In its 25 July 2022 announcement, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) described the proposed development as 200 meters wide and 500 meters above sea level, with capacity for nine million residents and a footprint of 34 square kilometers. The announcement also presented a 20-minute end-to-end rail journey, access to facilities within five minutes, no roads or cars, 100% renewable energy, and preservation of 95% of NEOM’s land for nature as design goals. Those are announced specifications and targets, not measured construction or operating results. PIF’s 2022 announcement attributed the design to a vision of vertically layered communities.
Is THE LINE really being built?
NEOM’s current THE LINE project page describes the development as advancing through a “phased, demand-led approach.” The page reviewed does not repeat the 170-kilometer dimension or state a completion date. That confirms the project remains part of NEOM’s long-term vision, but it does not establish that the original full-length design is under construction.
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Reports about the near-term scope have pointed to a much shorter stretch. In April 2024, The Guardian, citing Bloomberg’s review of project documents, reported an expectation that the 2030 phase would reach about 1.5 miles (roughly 2.4 kilometers). In October 2025, Reuters reported that work had been scaled back to focus on a 2.4-kilometer section, citing a source familiar with plans. Neither report says that this stretch had been completed. The Guardian’s 2024 report and Reuters’ 2025 report via Investing.com describe reported plans, not verified construction totals.
What has changed about the schedule and design?
Reported delay and redesign
On 22 May 2026, Semafor reported that further work on THE LINE had been delayed until at least after 2030 and that the twin mirrored structures were undergoing significant redesign. The report, citing people familiar with the matter, said the timing of a completed redesign and new funding allocation was unclear. NEOM had not immediately responded to a request for comment at the time. Semafor’s report indicates a major departure from the original timetable, while leaving the revised design and schedule unsettled.
Official comments on postponement
On 15 April 2026, PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said, “No project in Neom has been cancelled,” while acknowledging, “Has anything been postponed? Yes, definitely.” He also said it was not necessary for THE LINE to be completed by 2030. The comments support describing the project as postponed rather than formally cancelled; they do not confirm that the original 170-kilometer concept will be delivered. AFP’s report via L’Orient Today published those remarks.
How much of THE LINE will be built by 2030?
There is no confirmed completion figure in the cited official project page or statements. The reported 2.4-kilometer near-term focus is a description of plans in 2024 and 2025, not evidence that 2.4 kilometers had been built. Semafor’s May 2026 report of a delay until at least after 2030 further weakens any assumption that the original 170-kilometer vision—or even a particular shorter section—will be finished by then.
The most accurate answer is that the 2030 scope remains uncertain. The 170-kilometer figure belongs to the 2022 announced design; it should not be presented as a construction milestone or a current completion forecast.
Are the environmental and engineering claims proven?
The 2022 announcement promoted walkability, renewable energy, reduced car dependence, and land preservation as features or goals. The available sources do not establish those as achieved outcomes. They also do not provide an independent engineering review of whether the original 170-kilometer design is feasible, an independently validated whole-project cost estimate, or a published environmental assessment confirming the sustainability claims.
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Accordingly, the design figures and performance claims are best read as the project’s stated ambition. The cited material does not support treating them as independently verified engineering, cost, or environmental results.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.So, is it a desert mirage?
As a metaphor for the gap between the spectacular 2022 vision and the uncertain, much narrower near-term plans reported since, “desert mirage” is understandable. Literally, however, it would overstate what is known: THE LINE is an officially announced project within NEOM, and PIF’s governor said NEOM projects had not been cancelled. What is not established is delivery of the full 170-kilometer mirrored city, its original timetable, or the advertised performance goals.
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