Saudi Arabia Unveils the World’s Most Futuristic City Plan

In late July, His Royal Highness shared renderings of the design of The Line, offering a better understanding of the vision. The Line will be 656 feet wide, 1640 feet tall, and clad in a mirrored facade that reflects the surrounding desert. Most of the city functions will be layered, meaning schools, homes, offices, and parks, among other infrastructure, will be stacked on top of each other, promoting vertical movement in addition to horizontal journeys. 

The mirrored facade helps The Line blend into the surrounding environment. 

“At The Line’s launch last year, we committed to a civilizational revolution that puts humans first based on a radical change in urban planning,” HRH bin Salman said in a statement. “The designs revealed today for the city’s vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability.”

Most daily visited places, like schools and offices, won’t be more than a five-minute commute for residents.

Vertical living is a core element of The Line.

“NEOM remains one of the most important projects of Saudi Vision 2030, and our commitment to delivering The Line on behalf of the nation remains resolute,” the crown prince said in a statement. However, some have criticized the whole thing as being improbable at best and a wholly unrealistic billionaire power play at worst. The Saudi ruler has additionally received broader critiques of his Vision 2030 and is more seriously held in contempt for his role in the 2018 assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.