Saudi Arabia is reviewing its $2 trillion Neom megaproject, including The Line city, with plans potentially being scrapped or drastically reduced from the original 106-mile linear city to a much smaller AI hub.
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious $2 trillion Neom megaproject is under review as leadership questions the feasibility of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s desert city plans. The Line, originally designed as a 106-mile string of 1,600-foot skyscrapers housing 1.5 million people, was already downsized in 2024 to just 1.5 miles with capacity for 300,000 residents. The project, dubbed “the world’s largest construction site,” has cost billions and included plans for a ski resort called Trojena, which has been partly scrapped.
The review could transform Neom into a “much smaller” AI hub using seawater to cool data centers, according to sources. A Neom spokesperson said the development is “advancing projects in line with strategic priorities, market readiness and sustainable economic impact.” The review comes as Saudi Arabia prepares to host the 2034 men’s football World Cup and leadership announced it can no longer host the 2029 Asian Winter Games. One source told the Financial Times the changes “show that the system has a capacity to adjust its goals.”