Saudi Arabia is a country known for its rich oil deposits, majestic horses, one-of-a-kind architecture, and many other natural resources. Today, however, the nation aims to move beyond that and prove that it, too, is a force to behold when it comes to building a space-age city fit for modernity.
Despite being shrouded by mystery and controversy to outsiders, there is no doubt that Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in going towards a much more modern landscape and employing high technology methods as it plunges to a new future.
One of the plans that I found to be one of the country’s pride and joy as of late is no other than the Neom The Line project. Once only a vision, this project is now slowly transforming the Saudi Arabian landscape. Read on to learn about this project and what this has to offer.
- Get To Know Project Neom The Line
- A Deeper Look Into The Project
- What The Line Has In Store For Saudi Arabia
- Technological Advances That The Line Offers
- How The Line Intends To Operate
Get To Know Project Neom The Line
Not everyone is familiar with Neom The Line, and understandably so, given that this has only made waves in the past few years or so. Because of this, I will be defining what this is to be able to give readers a clearer view.
The Line is a proposed smart city to be built in Neom, Tabuk. The initiative was launched as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 project, which aims to create 380,000 jobs by 2030.
In many ways, I find that The Line is a city project that emphasizes a futuristic city that still puts humans at the core of its being. It will be a city that caters to a million people throughout the whole of 170 kilometers – all the while promoting zero cars, streets, and carbon emissions.
The name of the project, and the area as well, Neom, is a play of words that come from both Greek and Arabic origins. It is a portmanteau of the word “new” from Greek and the word “future” from Arabic. True to its name, the project will consist of new layers and communities that work with one another.
What The Project Aims To Achieve
From what I have mentioned, it seems pretty clear that the Neom The Line project aims to show how people and nature can coexist with one another. At the same time, I believe that The Line aims to reshape the way people live while making a conscious effort in maintaining the environment.
More than providing a different perspective and giving individuals a better way of life, I believe that The Line also serves as a new way for the whole kingdom to find an alternative source of income, with the move towards a more sustainable and non-oil-based future.
Neon The Line will act as a tourist destination of sorts that draws in global trade and tourism, which I think will be a good way to diversify its economic assets, especially when it also gives more job opportunities.
A Deeper Look Into The Project
Neom The Line is a massive $500 billion project designed to create the most livable city in the world. It was announced by the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman just earlier this year, on January 10, 2021. The construction also started in the first quarter of the year.
I saw in an article that the Crown Prince was inspired upon seeing the area of Neom in Tabuk. While the corner was deemed a wasteland by many individuals, the land was considered a valuable piece of property by Mohammed bin Salman.
In reaching the dream that the Crown Prince has for the region, Neom The Line will be home to over a million people from all over the world. As a community that efficiently and effectively functions independently, it will have its own town, port, enterprise areas, research centers, tourist destinations, and sporting and events venues.
The Saudi Arabian government will support the project. On top of this, both local and international investors, alongside the PIF, will be providing funding to the Neom The Line. Meanwhile, AECOM and Bechtel will be working together to develop high-speed mass transportation befitting the vision of the Crown Prince.
Economic Contribution To Saudi Arabia
In recent times, I have noticed that there has been great emphasis on living a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly lifestyle. It appears that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is jumping on this movement by taking on a unique approach to urbanization and modernity.
Since the creation of The Line is of massive proportion, the Saudi Arabian government is expected to create around 380,000 new jobs and further boost the country’s economy by bringing in SAR 180 billion or approximately $48 million.
Moreover, I find it worth mentioning that the inclusion of new approaches will pave the way for a bustling hub to take place for businesses and technologies alike. At the same time, this also helps the country intensify its efforts towards diversifying its assets and investments.
What The Line Has In Store For Saudi Arabia
As I have mentioned, Neom The Line will span along 100 miles, or rather 170 kilometers, as part of Neom, Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. This is considered a mega-city that is designed around people rather than roads. However, unlike others, the project still aims to preserve 95% of nature found in the land.
This focuses on the opportunity to highlight walkability again – with the futuristic and functional city ensuring that everything can be reached in just five minutes by walking. What is fascinating about this city is that essential services such as medical clinics, green spaces, schools and more, will be within reach. The longest journey is even slated to take only 20 minutes.
The Line connects different areas and communities, all of which are arranged in clusters along the “spine,” which is stretched across more than the 100 miles that span the area. Here, everything is hyper-connected, with nature being a central force in the lives of people.
This city is built with no cars, roads, or carbon emissions, making it truly one-of-a-kind for the future of walkability and the people who live in it. It will also include a tech hub which will include new technologies and research areas.
Environmentally-Friendly And Sustainability At The Helm
With the aim to redefine sustainability, I find it astonishing to know that The Line will make use of 100% clean energy in conjunction with pollution-free environments to provide a healthier and thriving environment for its residents.
Here, The Line will center its actions and technologies on building itself around nature rather than building over it. Buildings in the mega-city will be carbon-positive as well as make use of clean energy.
Technological Advances That The Line Offers
The Line is a gateway to all things advanced. From what I know, there will be infrastructures that will be seamlessly integrated throughout the whole city, connecting places near and far. When the day comes, The Line promises that travel within the area could only take 20 minutes at most.
To realize this, Neom will be giving state-of-the-art mass transit systems that use high-speed and its use of artificial intelligence systems to monitor the city and provide input on how to better improve the life for residents and businesses alike.
It will take sustainable and renewable energy to a whole new level by leveraging wind farms, solar power, and other green technology.
Artificial Intelligence At The Heart Of The Project
Artificial intelligence remains at the center of the whole Neom The Line project. This will be made possible by harnessing large amounts of data in order to gain more insight into how to make the lives of residents easier.
I believe that communities powered by artificial intelligence are imbued with a deeper sense of understanding of the world around us primarily because the machine learning system considers the various ways life is made easier for people.
How The Line Intends To Operate
What I find fascinating about The Line is that, in many ways, it is a reimagination and even a fulfillment of what the future looks like – with no cars and streets insight. Like me, one might be wondering where transportation, infrastructure, utilities, logistics, and others will factor in.
True to its futuristic yet realistic approach, Neom The Line will be integrating all of these facilities and more through different layers and spaces. There will be three main layers to this, the first of which will serve as a pedestrian layer.
The next layer is an invisible layer of infrastructure called the service layer underneath the ground. Below this, a lower level called the spine layer is also created to facilitate fast and efficient transportation.
It is astounding for me to think that this design will preserve the natural environment of the region.
What Makes The Project Special?
The new project will be located in the northwest area of Saudi Arabia in Neom, Tabuk. Here, unlike other infrastructure projects, I appreciate that this particular initiative aims to preserve not only the bountiful nature within the area and coexist with this.
What I find unique about the launch of Neom The Line is that it is a response made by Mohammed bin Salman in attempts to the constantly rising concerns over pollution and traffic accidents, both of which are endangering the lives of people year after year.
The Bottom Line
I believe that Neom The Line could truly represent a new era that would pave the way for a brighter tomorrow for Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world.
Its technological advancements and vision could set off an environmental impact that can change the world for good.