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THE LINE is a proposed linear city within Saudi Arabia’s NEOM development—not a completed 170-kilometre skyscraper. A 2022 design announcement set out extraordinary dimensions and ambitions; NEOM’s current public description is more cautious, calling the project phased and demand-led. A May 2026 report by Semafor, citing unnamed sources, said further work had been delayed until at least after 2030.
What is THE LINE?
THE LINE is a proposed urban development within NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s planned region. Its name and headline dimensions can make it sound like one enormous tower, but the proposal is for a linear city: a long, narrow urban form intended to arrange homes and other city functions along a single corridor.
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The idea behind that form is to build upwards as well as along the route, layering urban functions rather than spreading them across a conventional horizontal city. The Saudi Press Agency’s 25 July 2022 announcement called this concept “Zero Gravity Urbanism.”
What did the 2022 plan propose?
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced the following design specifications and targets on 25 July 2022. They describe the proposal at that time, not verified construction or a guaranteed final design.
| Announced measure | 2022 plan figure | What it refers to |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 170 kilometres | The proposed linear development |
| Width | 200 metres | The proposed city’s width |
| Height | 500 metres above sea level | The announced height specification |
| Population | Nine million people | The eventual capacity target |
| Footprint | 34 square kilometres | The area stated for the development |
These are figures from PIF’s 2022 announcement, not measurements of a finished city. The announcement also described facilities within a five-minute walk, high-speed rail that would make the end-to-end journey in 20 minutes, 100% renewable energy, and no roads, cars or emissions. It said 95% of NEOM’s land would be preserved for nature. Those are project promises and goals; the announcement does not independently establish that they have been achieved.
How does the project stand now?
NEOM’s current public THE LINE page describes the project as a core part of its long-term vision and says it is advancing through a phased, demand-led approach. The page does not provide a current completion date or detailed construction figures. Read NEOM’s current THE LINE description.
There is also more specific, but less authoritative, schedule reporting. On 22 May 2026, Semafor reported that further work on THE LINE had been delayed until at least after 2030, citing people familiar with the matter. It also reported that a redesign was underway, while the timing and future funding were unclear. Semafor said NEOM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This is an anonymously sourced report, not a public NEOM confirmation of a delay or revised schedule. Read Semafor’s report.
The two accounts should be read according to their source and scope: NEOM’s official page gives a broad current description without a date, while Semafor offers a more specific schedule account attributed to unnamed sources. Neither establishes a confirmed completion date or the final form of the project.
Rank #3
- Author: Sasson, Jean.
- Publisher: Windsor-Brooke Books, LLC
- Pages: 304
- Publication Date: 2010
- Edition: First Edition, First edition
What the vision promises—and what remains unproven
The proposed city’s compact, layered layout is intended to bring everyday facilities within walking distance and to rely on high-speed rail rather than cars. PIF’s announcement also tied the design to renewable energy and land preservation. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described the ambition in the same 2022 announcement: “The designs revealed today for the city’s vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability.”
That statement expresses the project’s stated aims, not evidence of outcomes. The dimensions, transport times, energy target and nature-preservation figure are claims in the 2022 plan; they should not be mistaken for independently verified performance or a description of what currently exists. The Public Investment Fund’s original announcement sets out those figures and goals: PIF’s 25 July 2022 announcement.
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