Eye-popping: Saudi prince unveils mirrored skyscraper eco-city

By: 3 years ago

A handout picture provided by Saudi鈥檚 NEOM on July 26, 2022 shows the design plan for the 500-metre tall parallel structures, known collectively as The Line, in the heart of the Red Sea megacity NEOM. AFP

JEDDAH 鈥� A futuristic Saudi megacity is to feature two skyscrapers extending across a swathe of desert and mountain terrain, according to the latest disclosures on the project by the kingdom鈥檚 de facto ruler.

The parallel structures of mirror-encased skyscrapers extending over 170 kilometers (more than 100 miles), known collectively as The Line, form the heart of the Red Sea megacity NEOM, a plank of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman鈥檚 bid to diversify the Gulf state鈥檚 oil-dependent economy.

First announced in 2017, NEOM has consistently raised eyebrows for proposed flourishes like flying taxis and robot maids, even as architects and economists have questioned its feasibility.

In a presentation Monday night, Prince Mohammed sketched out an even more ambitious vision, describing a car-free utopia that would become the planet鈥檚 most liveable city 鈥渂y far鈥�.

Analysts noted, though, that plans for NEOM have changed course over the years, fuelling doubts about whether The Line will ever become reality.

NEOM, a biotech and digital hub spread over 26,500 square kilometers (10,000 square miles), was once touted as a regional 鈥淪ilicon Valley鈥�.

Now it鈥檚 a vehicle for reimagining urban life on a footprint of just 34 square kilometers, and addressing what Prince Mohammed describes as 鈥渓iveability and environmental crises鈥�.

鈥淭he concept has morphed so much from its early conception that it鈥檚 sometimes hard to determine its direction: scaling down, scaling up, or making an aggressive turn sideways,鈥� said Robert Mogielnicki of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

A handout picture provided by Saudi鈥檚 NEOM on July 26, 2022 shows the design plan for the 500-meter tall parallel structures, known collectively as The Line, in the heart of the Red Sea megacity NEOM. AFP

Population boom

Officials had earlier said NEOM鈥檚 population would top one million, but Prince Mohammed said the number would actually hit 1.2 million by 2030 before climbing to nine million by 2045.

The eye-popping total is part of a hoped-for nationwide population boom that Prince Mohammed said would be necessary to make Saudi Arabia, the world鈥檚 biggest crude exporter, an economic powerhouse.

The goal for 2030 is to have 50 million people 鈥� half Saudis and half foreigners 鈥� living in the kingdom, up from roughly 34 million today.

By 2040 the target is 100 million people, he said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the main purpose of building NEOM, to raise the capacity of Saudi Arabia, get more citizens and more people in Saudi Arabia. And since we are doing it from nothing, why should we copy normal cities?鈥�

The site will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy and feature 鈥渁 year-round temperate micro-climate with natural ventilation鈥�, a promotional video released Monday said.

Past environmental pledges by the kingdom, such as a vow to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060, have sparked scepticism from environmentalists.

NEOM is well-positioned to harness solar and wind energy, and plans are also afoot for the city to host the world鈥檚 largest green hydrogen plant, said Torbjorn Soltvedt of risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.

鈥淏ut the feasibility of NEOM as a whole is still unclear given the unprecedented scale and cost of the project,鈥� he said.

Finding funds

At just 200 metres (yards) wide, The Line is intended to be Saudi Arabia鈥檚 answer to unchecked and wasteful urban sprawl, layering homes, schools and parks on top of each other in what planners term 鈥淶ero Gravity Urbanism鈥�.

Residents will have 鈥渁ll daily needs鈥� reachable within a five-minute walk, while also having access to other perks like outdoor skiing facilities and 鈥渁 high-speed rail with an end-to-end transit of 20 minutes鈥�, according to a statement.

Though NEOM will operate under its own founding law, which is still being prepared, Saudi officials say they have no plans to waive the kingdom鈥檚 alcohol ban.

An airport is already operational at NEOM, and authorities announced in May it would begin receiving regular flights from Dubai, but it is unclear whether major construction of the megacity itself has commenced.

The 鈥渇irst phase鈥� of the project, lasting until 2030, will cost 1.2 trillion Saudi riyals (roughly $319 billion), Prince Mohammed said.

Besides government subsidies, potential sources of funding include the private sector and an initial public offering for NEOM expected in 2024, he said.

Securing the necessary financing remains a potential challenge, though the current climate is more favourable than during the coronavirus pandemic that lowered oil prices.

鈥淏ut funding is only part of the equation鈥� demand is harder to buy, especially when you鈥檙e asking people to be part of an experiment on living and working in the future,鈥� Mogielnicki said.

黑料社

Population boom

Finding funds