The Line, Saudi Arabia's futuristic city is already designed

Saudi Arabia, as part of its Vision 2030 programme, has just announced the city designs for The Line, the country's next futuristic city in the country's plans. Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of the Kingdom, has announced the proposed design of the NEOM project for the new city and says it will be an example for future urban communities to follow.

"NEOM is one of the most important projects of Saudi Vision 2030 and The Line is an affirmation of our strong commitment to present a project to the whole world, NEOM is a place for those who dream of a better tomorrow," said the prince.

The crown prince, at a press conference, gave the latest details about this mega-project. The Line will have a multi-layered internal structure. The city will run 100 per cent on renewable energy, moving away from fossil fuels and enabling the country to decarbonise its industries towards a better future.

It will take a new approach to urban design, the first of its kind. It will have a mirror-like exterior façade, making it recognisable just by looking at it. "The idea of layering the city's functions vertically, giving people the ability to move seamlessly in three dimensions to access them is a concept called Zero Gravity Urbanism," added the Crown Prince.

Inside, there will be a mix of urbanism and nature with different functions. According to Bin Salman, "the city will have the capacity to create extraordinary experiences and magical moments".

It will also be road-free and car-free, which will totally reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, making it one of the first such cities. Instead, it will have streets mixed with nature and natural ecosystems. In this way, the city will not be flat and horizontal like the traditional ones we know, but will have other characteristics. The aim is to achieve harmony between urban development and the preservation of nature. 

This will fulfil The Line's main objective: to improve and preserve the health of its future citizens. In an ecosystem free of harmful effects, everyone will find their physical and mental well-being improved, which is what the Kingdom seeks. In line with this, it seeks to create the perfect climate for life in the future. The city will guarantee its residents pleasant temperatures all year round, which will help to conserve the natural environment around them.

The Line will cover an area of 34 square kilometres, making it one of the largest cities in the world compared to existing large cities. The complex will be able to house nine million people who will be responsible for populating the complex and improving their quality of life. "The Line will be created by a team of world-renowned architects and engineers, led by the heads of NEOM, to develop this revolutionary concept for the city of the future," the prince continued. 

The idea for the city was presented by Bin Salman himself in January last year. The prince presented the project as a city that would redefine the concept of urbanism and said it would become the example for cities of the future. "At NEOM, we strive to be at the forefront of delivering new and innovative solutions, and today we are determined to implement the motto of "Building to the Top" through a team led by NEOM and a group with several of the brightest minds in the country and the world," the prince said in 2021.

The Line is one of Saudi Arabia's plans under its Vision 2030 programme. This plan, devised in 2016, has the long-term goal of reducing carbon emissions and moving away from dependence on oil and gas. With this, the Kingdom wants to immerse itself in a huge energy transition based on fundamental pillars such as the diversification of the economy, technological progress and the improvement of the quality of life in the country itself and in the world.