A bold new urban planning project in Saudi Arabia will build the megacity of the future, powered by 100% renewable energy and using the latest smart city technology to make its residents’ lives as efficient and eco-friendly as possible.
Owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the 26,500 km2 district of Neom will cost $500 billion, and will sit in what is currently desert land in the Tubak Province of northwest Saudi Arabia.
Neom will also incorporate The Line, a new city plan unveiled in 2021. The Line is a linear shaped city which is planned to house 9 million residents, with no cars and instead with a light railway running from end to end. Original plans for The Line saw it as a series of buildings, but after a delayed start to the project and a redesign in 2022, the city will now be a single 170km long building which is 500m tall.
With its own airport, a bay in the Red Sea, and the nearby land turned into farmland for genetically-engineered crops, Neom plans to be largely self-sustaining but with excellent international transport links. It will have its own commerce, industry and supply chains, with a focus on the research and commercialization of groundbreaking technologies.
When not taking advantage of its connectivity with the rest of the world, residents of The Line can enjoy every convenience they need within a five-minute walk of wherever they live in the city.
A sense of community, with culture and entertainment, will also be built into the city. Experts in fields as diverse as fashion, environment and urban planning are leading various aspects of the development.
As well as The Line, there will also be the mountain area of Trojena with its six development districts where people can go to enjoy the natural scenery and outdoor experiences, including sport, wellness, arts and entertainment.
The industrial city of Oxagon will be a place where businesses can research, develop and manufacture, all while promising to be in harmony with nature.
Neom got its name from the Greek word ‘neo’, meaning ‘new’, combined with the letter ‘m’ to represent the Arabic word mustaqbal (meaning ‘future’) and also the first initial of ‘Mohammed’ after HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman.