Saudi Arabia announces 'linear city' plans

27th July 2022

Sam Holland

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Saudi Arabia has unveiled its plans for ‘THE LINE’ (sometimes called ‘The Mirror Line’): a planned ‘linear city’ that will have, to quote its press material, “everything you need within a five minute walk”. It is planned to be built on the under-development Saudi city of NEOM in North West Saudi Arabia.

While it is currently at its conceptual stage, Saudi Arabia’s official video of the mega city already refers to its immense scale: although it is said to be only two hundred metres wide, its website claims that it will be “170 kilometres long and 500 metres above sea level”. Its long, straight nature is intended to allow its citizens to access multiple facilities without needing to drive in the public transport-only city, whose high-speed train line is said to take passengers from the beginning to the end of the city in just twenty minutes.

In fact, NEOM’s website that provides an overview of THE LINE (‘NEOM’ being a combination of the Greek word for ‘new’ and the Arabic word for ‘future’) refers to the many sustainable concepts planned for its carbon-zero infrastructure: “unparalleled access to nature” and “clean air for everyone” are just two of its core selling points, which are both a product of its multi-storey open spaces for plantlife and its complete reliance on renewable energy generation.

It is even said to offer “a perfect climate all-year round”, in view of the fact that it has its own microclimate: the construction is expected to be meticulously designed for natural ventilation, shade, and sunlight. This may help to explain why the linear city’s concept images show the whole project being encapsulated in mirrored walls.

THE LINE, planned to one day be part of the Saudi city of NEOM, is the brainchild of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Chairman of the NEOM Board of Directors. More information on NEOM’s prospective sustainable developments, which are all part of the country-wide initiative known as Saudi Vision 2030, can be found by searching the ‘Regions’ section of its website. This covers such marvels as the city’s ‘Mountains of NEOM’ ski resort plans.

Check out more on sustainable development initiatives at our Eco Innovation page.

Plus, Electronic Specifier's sister publication IoT Insider has more over at its Smart Cities page.