“What is mirrored vertical city of Saudi Arabia? Is it worth living?” By NEOM

NEOM is the urban development project by the Government of Saudi Arabia under its vision 2030 Programme. It has released the designs and details for the new city under it named; The Line.

The vertical city extends 105 miles in the deserts from the Red Sea to the mountain ranges in the Northwest. The city will be in between the mirror façade walls, built on both sides. Truly a wonder. The facts you need to know about the project “The Line” are;

• It would consist of 9 million residents.
• It will be 200 meters wide and 500 meters above sea level.
• It will be covering an area of 34 square kilometers.
• The city will have no roads and no cars.
• The city will be based on trains, where every resident will reach their desired place in 5 minutes.
• The city will run on renewable energy. So the little to no production of CO2 will ultimately increase the quality of life and improve climate change conditions.

So what is meant by NEOM; The NEO is the English version of the Greek word i.e. neos means New. Whereas, M stands for Mustaqbil which means future in the Arabic language.

The city is one of a kind. It will change the perspective of living in horizontal lands and making their cities as Saudi Prince Muhammad Bin Salman said in the conference during the disclosure of the design;

“The designs revealed today for the cities vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability,”

The construction of this mega city has already begun. The NEOM project is funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment fund and the Government of Saudi Arabia. It will cost around $500 billion. The project is expected to be completed in 2025, being introduced in 2016. The design of the city is being made like only the amount of sunlight will affect. It will remain normal all around the year. As it’s a mix of ventilation and sunlight

The city is being made to attract tourists, as the surrounding states like Dubai or Abu Dhabi are the most popular tourist points. It will attract tourists and will boost the country’s economy.

Prince has said that:

“NEOM is one of the most important projects of Saudi Vision 2030 and The Line is an affirmation of our strong commitment to present a project to the whole world, NEOM is a place for those who dream of a better tomorrow.”

The city is being planned to combat environmental changes and create a better future. Shifting the whole city to renewable energy will certainly create a difference.

Although critics say it will disturb the environment more than ever. As being constructed in the desert and using the latest technology will seriously result in some serious impacts. Like using more advanced technology will shift, the trends and nature will suffer more than ever.