- ARAB NEWS
- 25 Apr 2024
Since 1975
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has announced a huge new zero-carbon city to be built at NEOM in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The project named “The Line” will be home to a million people and have no cars and no streets, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a video released on Sunday.
The city will be a 170 kilometer belt of “hyper-connected future communities,” and will be built around the natural environment, he said.
The project is a direct response to some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity, such as infrastructure, pollution, traffic and human congestion, a statement from NEOM said.
Construction of the “revolutionary” city will preserve 95 per cent of nature within NEOM will commence in the first quarter of this year.
The project forms part of extensive development work already underway at NEOM.
Crown Prince Mohammed said: “Throughout history, cities were built to protect their citizens. After the Industrial Revolution, cities prioritized machines, cars and factories over people. In cities that are viewed as the world’s most advanced, people spend years of their lives commuting.
“By 2050, commute durations will double. By 2050, one billion people will have to relocate due to rising CO2 emissions and sea levels. 90% of people breathe polluted air. Why should we sacrifice nature for the sake of development? Why should seven million people die every year because of pollution? Why should we lose one million people every year due to traffic accidents? And why should we accept wasting years of our lives commuting?”
“Therefore, we need to transform the concept of a conventional city into that of a futuristic one,” His Royal Highness added. “Today, as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of NEOM, I present to you THE LINE. A city of a million residents with a length of 170 km that preserves 95% of nature within NEOM, with zero cars, zero streets and zero carbon emissions.”
