Major update on Saudi Arabia £400bn mega-project to build incredible desert city

shared a new update on the progress of its visionary Neom project, particularly on the construction of its futuristic mega-city, The Line.

is an urban area being built by Saudia Arabia in Tabuk province and is part of plans to transform the country’s predominately oil-based economy to one focused more on tourism.

The £400 billion mega-project will create multiple regions, including a floating industrial complex, a global trade hub, tourist resorts, and a linear city powered by renewable energy sources.

is one of the centrepieces of the ambitious plans, and one day, it will be home to nine million people.

The cognitive city will stretch 170 kilometres from the epic mountains of Neom to desert valleys and eventually to the Red Sea.

It will rise an imposing 500 metres above the ground but will be just 200 metres wide and wrapped in a mirrored exterior.

Dennis Hickey, Chief Development Officer of , provided an update for visitors to the World Economic Forum in Davos last week.

He revealed that development efforts are concentrated on six regions: four tourism destinations – Trojena, Magna, The Islands, and the Nature Reserve, as well as two urban hubs, The Line and Oxagon.

He added that progress on The Line was progressing rapidly and that substantial groundwork had already been completed.

“We’re already cutting the ground and setting the stage for what will eventually house nine million residents,” Hickey said.

The futuristic city will have no cars and will be “green”, run on 100% renewable energy.

Residents will also have access to all daily essentials within a five-minute walk, in addition to high-speed rail.

Saudia Arabia’s Crown hailed Neom as being at the forefront of delivering imaginative solutions to “livability and the environmental crises” facing world cities.

“The line will tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live,” he said.

The first stage of the city will be completed in 2030 and will be 1.5 miles long, housing 300,000 residents.

To help make NEOM a reality, authorities have commissioned a multi-plant factory that will produce 20,000 cubic metres of concrete per day – most of which will be for The Line.