Achi news desk-
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious $500 billion linear city project “The Line”, originally planned to be extended for 170 kilometers, is expected to be reduced by 98.6%, according to The Cradle.
Bloomberg report that instead of the original plan to cover an area of ​​170 kilometers and provide space for 1.5 million people, the project will now span only 2.4 kilometers with a population of only 30,000 inhabitants,
The Line was part of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s (MBS) 2030 vision to tackle the challenges of urban life and promote alternative lifestyles.
However, reports suggest that he has now decided to downsize the mega-project due to financial constraints.
“The money comes back on The Line as the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund has yet to approve Neom’s budget for 2024,” Bloomberg write, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
“It shows that the financial reality of the trillions of dollars of investment is beginning to cause concern at the highest levels of the Saudi government as it seeks to achieve its ambitious Vision 2030 program, the overarching initiative tasked with diversifying the kingdom’s economy.”
The project has also received human rights concerns, as the construction would require the Howeitat tribe to be expelled from their lands in the Tabuk region.
