The Line: the ultra-futuristic and dystopian city project in Saudi Arabia unveils its images

Introduction

Known for its impressive skyscrapers, its atypical urbanism, Saudi Arabia has embarked on a crazy project. The work of Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, it is the construction of a seamless city building in the middle of the desert. This will rest on a strip of 168 km, will be 500 meters high and 200 meters wide. The building-city should therefore be higher, the Empire State Building or the majestic Eiffel Tower.

NEOM will be a kind of confined city that will have its own rules. There should be no highways so cars don’t have to drive on them. Only, a high-speed train that will allow you to get to the two ends of the city in less than 20 minutes. Also, this TGV will help to do your shopping in less than 5 minutes from the place of residence.

• • Introduction
  • NEOM: the ultra-futuristic city in the middle of the desert
  • SEE ALSO: Akon City: the city worthy of Wakanda originates in Senegal
  • The Line: good reasons and consequences

NEOM: the ultra-futuristic city in the middle of the desert

A dystopian project that hardly takes shape in the mind. However, things are already moving forward on the kingdom side. The numerous images unveiled show that the three dimensions will be heavily exploited for the construction of this megalopolis. The confined aspect will not induce any lack since the temperature, the air, the light, in short, nature will be present there. According to the prince, “The designs revealed today for the city’s vertical communities will challenge traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for preserving nature and improving human livability.”

SEE ALSO: Akon City: the city worthy of Wakanda originates in Senegal

For the initiators of the gigantic project, The Line is part of Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” plan. This should enable the Middle Eastern country to improve the living conditions of its population, reduce its ecological footprint, but also radically change the country’s economic model, which is mainly based on oil and gas.

The Line: good reasons and consequences

These are just good reasons for building this ultra-futuristic and dystopian city. But the consequences are already looming. Indeed, the city which is to expand in the northwestern region of the country will force about 20,000 people from the Howeitat tribe to leave their territory of the ancient kingdom of Hejaz, their home for centuries. Which already gives a bad image to this project, when we know that human rights in the kingdom are almost non-existent.

Ending word

Eventually, in 2030, the city should be able to accommodate around 1.5 million people. “The inhabitants would not be referred to as Saudis, but as Neomians. They will be subject to all the rules… related to security, defense and border protection”, explained Andrew McEvoy, head of tourism at NEOM.