Saudi Arabia’s upcoming mega project ‘The Line’ is now under construction, as seen on a new drone footage released by the Saudi Arabia-based...
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According to the footage, the 170-kilometre linear city, which is being built in the kingdom’s north-west Tabuk province, saw excavators digging a wide trench in the desert in the video.
The Line, which will have a mirror façade, is set to be 500 metres tall, accommodating nine million people and will be built on a footprint of 34 square kilometres
The project is part of the $500 billion NEOM project, a futuristic city with a mixed-use development, containing spaces for work, play and living.
While the project has garnered interest from around the world, it has also raised questions.
Answering some of the frequently asked questions, Giles Pendleton, the Executive Director of the project says, “It’s very exciting to have that blank canvas. I’ve been in this industry a long time working with real estate, smart tech and sustainability – but here we are creating something that has never been done before. We have a visionary leader, who has enabled us to do it. Elsewhere in the world, you might have political constraints, financial constraints or technical constraints. But with blue-sky thinking, we are creating this new future and we will succeed.”
The Line Saudi Arabia: Why the structure is 500 meters high and 200 meters wide
Giles Pendleton says that in order to accommodate nine million people, taking Saudi Arabia towards its 2050 population goal, The Line needs to incorporate efficiency – with the smallest possible footprint and optimal livability for residents. So, 200 meters wide by 500 meters tall – and 170 kilometers in length – was the best-engineered solution. He adds that the numbers were not selected randomly but were a result of research and science.
The Line Saudi Arabia: Why the walls are mirrored
“The most important thing for us is that we’re building a very large structure in a pristine part of the world. If the building was black, it would stand out. With a mirrored facade, wherever you are looking you will see the land behind you, which will be a natural environment,” says Giles Pendleton.
The Line aims to blend in perfectly with the surrounding environment and be one with nature. Other benefits of the mirrored walls include solar panel integration.
The Line Saudi Arabia: Mitigation of dark shaded spaces
With high structures towering 500 meters high, The Line will not be covered in shade says Giles Pendleton. The mirrored sructure will be penetrated by natural light and the canyon [inside of the structure] has been scientifically modeled to make the most of the sun’s high arc in summer and low arc in winter.
Plants in The Line will be situated based on their requirements. Those requiring sunlight will be placed in strategic areas.
The Line Saudi Arabia: How a city of nine million people is being built from scratch
“We’d like to see close to a million people living on THE LINE in 2030,” says Giles Pendleton. This requires building a lot of real estate in a shorter timeframe and The Line intends to use AI to build the structure by assembling a series of modular pieces that are pre-engineered.
A simple process delivering consistent quality will be created for optimised, standardised and industrialised production of building materials.
Speaking about the project, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said “The Line” will embody “Zero Gravity Urbanism,” where city functions are layered vertically.
“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,” he said in a statement.
He said it “will tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live.”
The crown prince claims residents will be able to reach all daily needs within a five-minute walk in “The Line,” where public parks and pedestrian areas, schools, homes and places for work are “layered.”
There will also be a high-speed rail with an end-to-end transit of 20 minutes, according to the statement.
In case you missed it, here’s an overview of the latest announcements about Saudi Arabia’s The Line:
Saudi Arabia’s The Line under construction
Inside Saudi Arabia’s NEOM: The Line
Saudi’s NEOM The Line will be cruise hub like Montenegro, says senior executive
Saudi Arabia ‘not building The Line’ but AI is, says NEOM executive
Saudi Arabia’s The Line under construction
Saudi Arabia’s The Line has a new construction update, as satellite images by Australian company Soar revealed how much ground the megacity has covered so far, followed by the city’s length and the layout of the site, according to a report by Gizmodo.
The images, which were taken by a satellite from Chang Guang Satellite Technology Corporation on October 22 this year, showed updates of the megacity from the main base camp.
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