Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Neom megacity, especially its flagship development The Line, continues to attract global attention for its futuristic vision of urban living. Designed as a 170 kilometer long zero carbon and car free city, The Line aims to combine cutting edge technology, artificial intelligence based systems, and sustainable infrastructure to redefine modern city life. However, by 2025, construction progress has been limited to a few sections, prompting adjustments to both timelines and budgets.
Current progress on The Line
One of the key areas under construction is the Hidden Marina, a 2.4 kilometer stretch planned to house around 200,000 residents. It will include about 80,000 apartments, 9,000 hotel rooms, retail spaces, and leisure facilities. The marina is expected to be completed by 2030, in line with preparations for the 2034 World Cup.
Major groundwork has also been completed, including more than 4,500 foundation piles, with a target of 15,000 in total. Excavation continues at an intense pace, moving nearly one million cubic meters of earth each week. Infrastructure development is advancing with tunnels, canals, and rail systems forming the foundation of this sustainable and car free city.
Delays and financial challenges
Despite visible progress, Neom project has faced multiple delays. As of late 2025, only a 2.4 kilometer section of The Line has been constructed, with no residents yet living there. The original completion timeline has been pushed from early targets to 2045. Financial pressures have also emerged, including a reported eight billion dollar write down by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
How Neom began
Announced in 2017 under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, Neom was conceived as a five hundred billion dollar city meant to drive economic diversification beyond oil. Neom name combines the Greek word Neo meaning new and the Arabic word Mostaqbal meaning future. Since its launch, several milestones have been reached including design competitions, early infrastructure works, and detailed planning for renewable energy and artificial intelligence integration.
Future outlook
The initial 2 to 5 kilometer section of The Line is expected to be structurally completed by 2026, followed by mid phase expansion by 2030. Full completion is now estimated around 2045. Neom remains a global experiment in futuristic urban planning whose outcome could shape how sustainable megacities are built in the future.
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