Why Saudi Arabia Is Building a Linear City

Saudi Arabia announced an immense new development project, THE LINE, a 100-mile-long linear city, as part of its Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. The project aims to diversify the country's economy, which is heavily reliant on oil, by investing in infrastructure, education, research, healthcare, and tourism, with a focus on future technologies.

THE LINE is part of NEOM, a larger project driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. NEOM is being built in the Tabuk Province, on the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. Its location is strategically important, with plans for a causeway connecting it to North Africa, bypassing Israel. Initial developments in NEOM include NEOM BAY, with hotels, apartments, and an airport, along with a complex of palaces for the royal family.

THE LINE concept aims to be a futuristic city designed for people, not cars. It will feature three levels: a pedestrian-only ground level with green spaces, a second level for commercial spaces, and a lowest 'Spine' level for ultra-high-speed transit, allowing travel to any point in 20 minutes. The city will be powered entirely by clean energy and utilize AI to optimize resources and simplify residents' lives, with a declared cost of $500 billion.

Despite its futuristic vision, THE LINE faces criticism regarding its environmental impact, as it cuts through natural terrain rather than integrating with it. Questions remain about how its linear layout contributes to sustainability and efficient transit despite potentially longer distances. Critics also ponder whether such a rigid design will allow for natural city growth and if its radical nature is primarily for generating attention and attracting investors.

The concept of a linear city is not new, with historical precedents like Arturo Soria y Mata's 1880s plans and Nikolai Alexandrowitsch Milijutin's implementations in Soviet cities. Brazil's capital, Brasilia, designed in the 1950s, also shares some similarities with its central axis design. However, these past projects faced challenges like unequal growth and car dependency, issues that NEOM aims to address by making cars unnecessary, though concerns about a 'birds-eye view' design remain.

The NEOM project has been met with controversy, including the forced displacement of the al-Huwaitat tribe, leading to calls for a UN investigation. The government plans to establish NEOM as a free trade zone with an independent legal system to attract investors, possibly similar to Dubai's model. However, these promises of progressive laws contrast with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's record on human rights, including arrests of activists and his alleged involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, raising concerns about the project's true intentions and image rehabilitation.