Architecture

First 1.5-mile stretch of Saudi's audacious Line megacity begins to rise

First 1.5-mile stretch of Saudi's audacious Line megacity begins to rise
The first phase of the Line will be called Hidden Marina and will stretch 2.5 km (1.5 miles) over the desert
The first phase of the Line will be called Hidden Marina and will stretch 2.5 km (1.5 miles) over the desert
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The first phase of the Line will be called Hidden Marina and will stretch 2.5 km (1.5 miles) over the desert
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The first phase of the Line will be called Hidden Marina and will stretch 2.5 km (1.5 miles) over the desert
Once fully complete, the Line is expected to have a length of 170 km (105 miles)
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Once fully complete, the Line is expected to have a length of 170 km (105 miles)
The Line's first phase, Hidden Marina, will host the 2034 World Cup soccer tournament in a large futuristic stadium on its uppermost floor
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The Line's first phase, Hidden Marina, will host the 2034 World Cup soccer tournament in a large futuristic stadium on its uppermost floor
The first phase of the Line, Hidden Marina, is expected to be completed by 2030 and will host 200,000 residents
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The first phase of the Line, Hidden Marina, is expected to be completed by 2030 and will host 200,000 residents
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Construction has reportedly begun on the first phase of the Line, Saudi Arabia's insanely ambitious plan to build a 170-km (105 mile)-long gleaming megacity in the desert. We also now know how many people will live there initially – and when they're moving in.

According to a report from local website Saudi Gazette, Neom's Denis Hickey took to the stage during the PIF Private Sector Forum in Riyadh last week and revealed the details.

The first phase of the Line will be named Hidden Marina and will stretch 2.5 km (1.5 miles) over the desert. It will rise to a height of 500 m (1,640 ft) and will be made up of three individual modular segments, with a mirrored exterior. Its built area will measure 21 million square meters (almost 5,200 acres). To put this into perspective, the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, has a built area of 350,000 square meters (roughly 86 acres).

Alongside its manmade marina, details of which are not available yet, the project will host an initial population of around 200,000 residents and will include over 80,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms, commercial and retail spaces, alongside fire stations, schools, police and security services, and all the other things necessary to keep a modern city ticking over, with AI-controlled surveillance keeping an eye on energy usage and occupancy. The idea is that residents will have access to all daily essentials within a five-minute walk, while high-speed rail will provide transit around the metropolis.

The Line's first phase, Hidden Marina, will host the 2034 World Cup soccer tournament in a large futuristic stadium on its uppermost floor
The Line's first phase, Hidden Marina, will host the 2034 World Cup soccer tournament in a large futuristic stadium on its uppermost floor

Over 140,000 workers are currently engaged in the project's construction, with US$140 billion invested in infrastructure to support the budding city. The Hidden Marina is expected to be completed by 2030, allowing the Line's uppermost floor to host a stadium for the Saudi Arabia-hosted 2034 World Cup soccer tournament.

The news of construction follows a slew of news and rumors trickling out from Neom – not all good – including that it's using around 20% of the world's available steel and that robots will help build it. Indeed, the Saudi authorities will need all the help they can get, as if the Line itself wasn't ambitious enough, the country also plans to complete the world's new tallest skyscraper, the JEC Tower by then, as well as the gigantic Mukaab, and lots of other amazing hotel resorts and towers too.

Source: Neom

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14 comments
14 comments
Global
How long do you think that mirror will stay that artificially clean, not to mention the intense sunlight reflections coming off the faces.
SteveMc
I’m seriously hoping it is made from 100% fireproof materials and also has the best fire detection and suppressing system possible. The Titanic was unsinkable so please don’t tell me this Saudi monstrosity is fireproof. I’d also like to know how the next pandemic would be controlled in such an environment when the aircon is shut down to stop the spread :)
Brian M
Wonder if anyone has calculated the impact of such a construction and the running of it it will have on global warming?
mlynch002
I'll defer to Adam Something or Patrick Boyle on You Tube to describe the dystopian stupidity of these mega-projects. This is the ultimate expression of human stupidity.
veryken
Still only renderings. Probably just a shovel of sand. The online bloggers get excited again.
BMC2
So ‘The Line’ is actually going to be a real thing?
Victor-in-A2
My kid's karate class is 27 miles that way and my dog's groomer is 14 miles in the opposite direction. It's going to be a long afternoon!
Tyler Hill
Why is nobody talking about the fact that according to reports there have already been 21,000 worker deaths from the horrible working conditions, not to mention the locals that were kicked off the land, many of whom were executed for refusing to leave. The man camps the workers are in are apparently atrocious aswell with reports of guards graping and beating the "workers".
BlueOak
Would love to see their business model.
Norman
I am sure those who wonder and pretend to care if it's fire proof etc. Know that probably the greatest mind in architecture etc are involved in this. And this will be no doubt another marvel from the rich Arab countries who have so many at present. That they make the west look dilapidated.
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