Satellite Images Reveal The Reality Of Saudi Arabia’s $2 Trillion Megacity In The Desert

The Line: Saudi Arabia’s Futuristic Mega-City Faces Reality Check

Saudi Arabia’s ambitious mega-project, The Line, is facing mounting skepticism despite massive excavation efforts and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MBS) determination to push forward. The 170-kilometer-long mirrored city, planned as part of the $500 billion NEOM project, aims to house 9 million people in a car-free, AI-powered environment. However, new reports suggest significant delays, logistical challenges, and growing concerns over human rights violations.

A Bold Vision, But at What Cost?

When MBS first announced The Line in 2021, it was presented as a revolutionary concept in urban living. The project envisions two parallel skyscrapers, each 500 meters tall and 200 meters apart, stretching across the desert. Designed to be fully sustainable, the city would rely on renewable energy, high-speed transport, and smart infrastructure to create a futuristic, eco-friendly metropolis.

Satellite images now show large-scale excavation work, newly built worker towns, and a workforce in the tens of thousands. Yet, despite visible progress, sources indicate that The Line is far from meeting its ambitious deadlines. Originally planned to accommodate 1.5 million residents by 2030, only a small 2.4-kilometer segment is now expected to be completed within that timeframe.

Mounting Challenges and Criticism

The project’s biggest hurdles stem from a combination of financial, logistical, and ethical issues:

• Financial Constraints: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is struggling to secure foreign investments, with global investors hesitant about the project’s viability. Lower oil revenues and economic uncertainty have further strained funding.
• Logistical Setbacks: Experts warn that constructing a 170-km linear city in the harsh desert terrain presents unprecedented engineering challenges. Past attempts at similar “linear city” designs worldwide have largely failed due to impracticality.
• Human Rights Concerns: One of the most controversial aspects of The Line is the forced displacement of local communities, particularly the Huwaitat tribe. Reports indicate that tribal members opposing eviction faced arrest or worse. Human rights organizations have condemned Saudi authorities for suppressing dissent to make way for the project.

Is The Line a Mirage?

While Saudi leadership remains committed to The Line, experts question whether it will ever reach completion. Many argue that the project serves more as a global statement of ambition rather than a practical solution for future cities. Even if a portion is built, skeptics believe it may become a high-tech ghost town rather than a thriving urban center.

Despite delays and challenges, MBS appears unwilling to scale back his vision. However, with costs rising, international criticism growing, and limited progress beyond initial excavation, The Line risks becoming one of the most ambitious, yet unrealized, urban experiments in modern history.