{"id":6328,"date":"2025-12-04T09:51:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T00:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/?p=6328"},"modified":"2025-12-04T09:51:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T00:51:54","slug":"saudi-arabias-2-trillion-vision-takes-a-sharp-turn-the-line-project-drastically-scaled-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/finance\/6328\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Arabia’s $2 Trillion Vision Takes a Sharp Turn: The Line Project Drastically Scaled Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

JAKARTA – <\/strong>Saudi Arabia has announced a significant reduction in its ambitious plans for The Line, a futuristic linear megacity that was meant to stretch 100 miles through the desert as part of the kingdom’s massive economic transformation initiative.<\/p>\n

From Megacity to Modest Development<\/h2>\n

The project, which forms a crucial component of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salama’s Vision 2030 initiative, has been substantially downsized. Originally designed to accommodate 9 million residents\u2014more than a quarter of Saudi Arabia’s entire population\u2014the revised plans now target just 300,000 people in a development spanning only a few miles.<\/p>\n

A Saudi government official acknowledged the financial realities at a recent investment conference in Riyadh, noting that excessive spending and an unsustainable pace of development had created budget deficits, necessitating a strategic reassessment of priorities.<\/p>\n

The Original Vision<\/h2>\n

The Line was conceived as a revolutionary urban development along the Red Sea coast within the Neom project area. The original concept featured:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • A car-free, emission-free environment<\/li>\n
  • Complete reliance on renewable energy sources<\/li>\n
  • Preservation of 95% of natural land<\/li>\n
  • Twin structures rising 500 meters high, spanning 200 meters wide and 170 kilometers long<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Economic Pressures Force Change<\/h2>\n

    The scaling back reflects broader financial challenges facing the kingdom. When Vision 2030 launched in 2016, oil traded around $100 per barrel. Current prices remain significantly lower, and petroleum still represents half of the Saudi economy.<\/p>\n

    Jerry Inzerillo, a senior advisor to the crown prince overseeing the $63 billion Diriyah development in Riyadh, characterized the shift as a necessary adjustment, explaining that lower oil revenues have compelled more conservative financial planning.<\/p>\n

    Neom’s Broader Challenges<\/h2>\n

    The Line represents just one component of multiple futuristic developments planned for the Tabuk province:<\/p>\n

    Oxagon<\/strong> – A proposed octagonal floating industrial facility north of Duba, with initial completion targeted for 2027<\/p>\n

    Trojena<\/strong> – A mountain resort and skiing destination, now delayed from 2029 to 2032 for hosting the Arabian Winter Games<\/p>\n

    Sindalah<\/strong> – The sole completed element, a luxury island that opened in October following years of delays and cost overruns<\/p>\n

    Additional projects<\/strong> announced in 2023 include Leyja, Epicon, Siranna, and Utamo\u2014none yet constructed<\/p>\n

    New Strategic Focus<\/h2>\n

    According to recent reports, Saudi Arabia plans to redirect investment toward artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centers powered by traditional energy sources, moving away from some renewable energy commitments.<\/p>\n

    The Public Investment Fund has indicated that updated strategic priorities will be announced shortly, as pressure mounts to demonstrate stronger near-term financial returns. The kingdom also faces firm deadlines for new commitments, including hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which requires 11 stadiums.<\/p>\n

    Controversy and Human Cost<\/h2>\n

    The Neom developments have faced criticism regarding the forced relocation of thousands of residents from designated project areas, raising questions about the social impact of these massive redevelopment schemes.<\/p>\n

    As Saudi Arabia recalibrates its development ambitions, The Line’s dramatic reduction symbolizes the challenges of balancing visionary urban planning with economic reality.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Original Article:<\/b><\/p>\n

    Independent. (2025, December 3). <\/span>End of The Line? Saudi Arabia scales back plan for wildly ambitious 100-mile-long megacity in the desert<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/i>Retrieved from https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/middle-east\/the-line-saudi-arabia-megacity-neom-b2858056.html<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    JAKARTA – Saudi Arabia has announced a significant reduction in its ambitious plans for The Line, a futu […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6329,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3729,3730,3731,1140],"class_list":["post-6328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance","tag-neom","tag-the-line","tag-urban-development","tag-vision-2030","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6328"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6330,"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6328\/revisions\/6330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/souqtimes.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}