As 2025 draws to a close, the shimmering dream of «The Line«—Saudi Arabia’s 170-kilometer-long mirrored metropolis—is facing a significant reality check. Once billed as a gravity-defying urban revolution, recent reports indicate that the project is being drastically downsized as the Kingdom shifts its strategy toward more manageable goals.
NEOM vs. The Line: Clearing the Confusion
To understand the recent changes, it is essential to distinguish between NEOM and The Line.
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NEOM is the overarching regional development project in northwest Saudi Arabia. It is designed to be a massive hub for renewable energy, luxury tourism, and futuristic industries, with a heavy focus on large-scale green hydrogen production.
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The Line is just one specific city within the NEOM region. It was envisioned as a razor-thin, car-free urban strip powered entirely by the green hydrogen produced by its neighbor.
While NEOM provides the clean fuel, The Line was intended to be the high-density living space for the future. However, the two are often conflated, leading to confusion about which parts of the dream are currently being recalibrated.
From 100 Miles to a Few Miles
The original blueprints for The Line were staggering: a 100-mile (170km) long structure housing nine million residents. The updated reality is much more modest. Current projections suggest the city may only span a few miles in its initial phase, with the expected population plummeting from millions to roughly 300,000.
Several factors have forced this «downscaling»:
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Financial Pressure: Despite Saudi Arabia’s vast resources, the project has already consumed over $50 billion in foundational groundwork. The sheer cost of maintaining the original pace has created immense budget pressure.
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Logistical Deadlines: With the 2034 World Cup approaching, Saudi Arabia is prioritizing projects that can be completed and functional in time for the global spotlight.
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Engineering Hurdles: The «physics» of building such a massive, continuous structure has proven more complex than initial engineering digital renders suggested.
A Strategic Pivot, Not an End
While the reduction of The Line feels like a setback, the broader NEOM vision remains alive. The Kingdom is pivoting toward its more practical energy goals, specifically its ambition to become a global leader in green hydrogen. Other high-profile segments of NEOM, such as the floating industrial city (Oxagon) and the mountain ski resort (Trojena), may face delays as resources are reallocated, but they have not been abandoned.
The Future of the «Hydrogen City»
Even at a fraction of its original size, a hydrogen-powered urban area remains a feat of engineering that defies traditional urban planning. By scaling back, Saudi Arabia is attempting to transform a «mirage in the desert» into a functional, realistic urban center.
The Line may no longer stretch across the horizon as originally promised, but its evolution represents a strategic shift from pure fantasy to a version of the future that the world might actually see built.
