Twist in the megaproject ‘The Line’, the 170 km city in Saudi Arabia: those responsible have new plans
The Saudi Minister of Industry assures that the priority is the development of a hydrogen factory that will attract both work and residents.
We won’t be the ones to deny the allure of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious megacity The Line—a 170-kilometer-long straight line in the middle of the desert, flanked by two 500-meter-high walls enclosing a narrow but remarkably long city.
The concept promised that every home would have access to essential services—schools, supermarkets, medical centers, and more—within 15 minutes. Yet, despite its futuristic vision, the project has stalled almost from the outset.
The costs of building such a science-fiction-like city have proven to be astronomical, and they remain one of the main obstacles. Construction has been halted, and progress has effectively frozen. Still, Saudi Arabia already has alternative plans for the limited work completed so far on The Line.
According to Saudi Industry Minister Bandar Al-Khorayef, at least one key element will move forward: the hydrogen factory located about 75 kilometers south of the planned city. Speaking to the German outlet Wirtschaftswoche, Al-Khorayef said the facility is now expected to begin operations by the end of 2026.
The idea behind this initiative is to first attract a workforce to the region and gradually build up a population base before resuming full development of The Line. Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia reportedly commissioned several consulting firms to review the project’s feasibility and propose improvements, according to Bloomberg.
“As is typical for large, multi-year projects, strategic reviews are common practice and are conducted multiple times throughout a major development project or infrastructure program,” Neom—the overarching name for the project—said in a statement. “The Line remains a strategic priority, and Neom is focused on maintaining operational continuity, improving efficiency, and accelerating progress to meet the overall project vision and objectives.”
For now, though, no one actually lives on The Line—only the developers and construction teams. Investors, meanwhile, have long urged a reassessment of Saudi Arabia’s grand megaprojects.
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To put things in perspective, The Line was originally planned to stretch 170 kilometers, but just over two kilometers have been completed so far. The city was projected to eventually house nine million residents; current estimates suggest that by the end of the decade, that number will be closer to 300,000.
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