is THE LINE still becoming reality as saudi arabia reimagines its architectural future?

"Once hailed as the most radical experiment in twenty-first-century urbanism, THE LINE, (find designboom's previous coverage here), a 170-kilometer-long mirrored megacity slicing through the desert, stands at the center of Saudi Arabia's shifting architectural agenda. Conceived as the backbone of NEOM, the $500-billion development in the country's northwest, it promised a car-free, carbon-neutral city contained within two parallel walls rising 500 meters high, an ambitious vision that faces an unexpected test of endurance."

"Behind the futuristic renderings and bold rhetoric, officials have acknowledged that the pace and cost of construction have become unsustainable amid falling oil prices and growing budget deficits. THE LINE, once envisioned to stretch 170 kilometers across the Tabuk desert, has now reportedly been scaled back to a few miles of initial construction as the government redirects resources and timelines across its development landscape."

"According to Reuters, the kingdom's $925-billion sovereign wealth fund is redirecting its focus after construction delays and spiraling costs across the country's so-called gigaprojects. Insiders cited in The Sunday Times describe a 'course correction,' with THE LINE reportedly scaled back to only a few miles of construction, a fraction of its original length. The slowdown signals a broader reconsideration of Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's master plan to diversify the economy beyond oil and to recast Saudi Arabia as a global hub for innovation, tourism, and culture."

THE LINE was conceived as a 170-kilometer mirrored megacity within NEOM, promising a car-free, carbon-neutral environment contained between two parallel walls rising 500 meters. The project formed part of a broader Vision 2030 plan and a $500-billion NEOM development aimed at economic diversification. Recent reports indicate the project has been scaled back to only a few miles of initial construction as officials redirect resources amid falling oil prices, mounting budget deficits, and spiraling construction costs. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is reprioritizing investments, prompting a course correction across several gigaprojects and delaying original timelines.

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