Five years ago, initial plans for a 100-mile futuristic city called The Line were made public, with Saudi Arabia claiming that it would be complete by 2030.
Neom, a construction company in the Middle Eastern nation, unveiled their latest project yet - a 1,600ft tall city which would run through the Arabian Desert.
While you'd expect the UK to backtrack on an ambitious project like this, such as the HS2 train line project, seeing a country as rich in oil reserves as Saudi struggle with their projects is a rare sight.
Unsurprisingly, the overwhelming prospect of building an artificial city which aims to be revolutionary technologically, while also being a tourism hotspot, is a bit of a tall order.
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Originally budgeted for $1.6 trillion, the estimated costs ballooned to $4.5tn in 2022, according to the Financial Times.
Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman set the target of it being home to nine million people while having no roads, cars, or emissions while using renewable energy.
It's now been revealed, after months of very steady progress, that the massive city has been put on hold as the cost of oil dropped from $100 per barrel to around $60.
An official admitted at the end of 2025: “We spent too much. We rushed at 100 miles an hour. We are now running deficits. We need to reprioritise.”
Now, it had been revealed that they may reduce the scale of the city all together, with the futuristic metropolis likely to head down the artificial intelligence route.
Instead of becoming home to millions, it has been suggested that the project could pivot to constructing AI data centres in this area.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, an insider admitted that the future of The Line is in question, facing the axe or a significant downsizing.
The Prince is said to see potential in the city relieving pressure on cities such as Riyadh, as the nation struggles to accommodate for its 35 million inhabitants.
Neom was set to include a 6,500 sq km nature reserve, alongside the mountainous region of Trojena, which is home to Saudi Arabia's debut outdoor ski slopes.
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 stated: "The Line is a revolutionary city that puts humans first, providing an unprecedented urban living experience while preserving its surrounding nature."
But now, it looks like Saudi is adapting to the times, as the Public Investment Fund (PIF) unveiled HUMAIN, its venture which will be focused on developing AI and data centre infrastructure.
The nation has undergone a number of drastic social changes in recent years too, which includes granting women the right to drive and curtailing the powers of the religious police.
Saudi Arabia, in attempts to adapt more to western culture, has made these changes to become more attractive to tourists who will head over for the 2034 World Cup.
Topics: Saudi Arabia, The Line, Artificial Intelligence
Joshua Nair