Satellite images show progress on Saudi Arabia’s futuristic 75-mile megacity The Line.
The recently released photos, taken by Australian company Soar on October 22, show excavators digging the foundations for Mohammed bin Salman’s £440 billion desert project.
The construction site runs “straight as an arrow” across the sand and through the mountains of the kingdom, with foundations up to 10 meters deep for the self-contained metropolis with a mirror-like exterior.
The line will be part of Neom’s sprawling desert complex, which will also include an artificial ski resort, an octagonal floating port city, flying elevators, a swimming pool for commuters and robots, and AI for its future residents.
Satellite images show progress on Saudi Arabia’s futuristic 75-mile megacity The Line. There are bases for the construction workers near the excavation site
More than 400 excavators are on site, satellite images show, and thousands of workers are housed in bases on the project, which is due to be completed in 2030, although engineers fear it could take 50 years.
Construction workers broke ground in October and despite some doubts that the futuristic, high-tech city will ever be fully realized, the project is well underway.
The satellite images were reviewed by MIT’s Technology Review, which said the dug line is about 200 feet wide and an estimated 1.7 million cubic feet of rock and sand has already been excavated at the site.
The foundations for the city are to be laid in the trench which is currently being excavated, but there are also plans for an underground transport system.
The mega city, which can house up to nine million people, was announced last year.
More than 400 excavators are on site, satellite images show, and thousands of workers are housed in project bases
The construction site (in yellow) cuts across the sands and mountains of the kingdom. Purple areas represent excavated earth, while red dots represent construction vehicles and the green areas represent solar panels
The mega city, which can house up to nine million people, was announced last year
It will consist of two 500 meter tall buildings running parallel to each other across 120 kilometers of desert, coastal and mountainous landscapes.
The building is tall enough to be supported to accommodate the curvature of the earth, and a high-speed rail line will also run underneath.
Design plans for the linear city feature sci-fi-inspired interiors with angular glass structures that meander in various shapes over an artificial river.
Trees climb over the futuristic designs powered entirely by renewable energy in the sprawling tropical metropolis that looks like it could serve as a Star Wars set.
Bin Salman said he wanted his country to host a construction project as iconic and timeless as the Egyptian pyramids.
“The Line is a project that represents a civilizational revolution that puts people first,” he said at the time.
The Line, a mega project created by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will be part of the sprawling desert complex of Neom
The Mirror Line will consist of two 500 meter tall buildings running parallel to each other over 120 kilometers of desert, coastal and mountainous landscapes
When fully completed, the Gulf of Aqaba skyscraper will run through a mountain range and then stretch along the coast to form an “aerotropic” in the desert, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Bin Salman also said the project aims to enable one million residents to meet within a five-minute walk and travel from one end to the other within 20 minutes.
The futuristic buildings have a silver sheen and intricate interiors with stairs, greenery and apartment buildings to create a linear community.
The community of millions is also fed by vertical farming built into the walls of the gleaming buildings, and residents are said to pay a subscription for three meals a day.
Prince MBS has claimed he wants the Mirror Line to be completed by 2030, although engineers have said construction could take 50 years
Saudi Arabia’s futuristic megacity will consist of two massive, mirror-covered skyscrapers spread over desert and mountainous terrain
The line is close to the coastal area of the country
The line will also include a sports stadium that will rise 300 feet above the ground.
Bin Salman also hopes Neom as a whole will create thousands of new jobs and prevent the oil-rich country from becoming so dependent on the source of wealth.
However, foreign investment in Neom is not so favorable as many Western countries continue to boycott the country over alleged human rights abuses.
Bin Salman is accused of ordering the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but the crown prince denies any involvement.
Others, less politically astute, have questioned whether the proposed projects are simply too ambitious.
Saudi Arabia previously abandoned plans to build a mile-high skyscraper that would have been the world’s tallest after running into funding problems.
Salman hopes to create a desert community called Neom (pictured)
Bin Salman said he wants his country to host a construction project as iconic and timeless as the Egyptian pyramids
When completed, the Gulf of Aqaba skyscraper will span a mountain range and then extend along the coast to form an “aerotropic” in the desert.
The Mirror Line will have vegetation including vertical farming, a bullet train and create thousands of jobs
The project’s completion date is set for 2030, but builders and city planners are struggling to solve many problems.
The project was originally supposed to be completed in 50 years.
Planners struggle to answer whether post-pandemic residents will consider living in a high-rise building, the migration of animals and birds, and how to deal with the structure affecting groundwater flow.
Environmental planners say the Mirror Line’s sheer size and length will disrupt migratory bird patterns – and the building’s mirrored glass could further confuse them and dilute the project’s desire to be eco-friendly.
The proposed construction of a floating port city (pictured) called Oxagon is one of many bizarre plans for the futuristic city
Mohammed bin Salman wants the kingdom’s first ski resort – equipped with its own village, luxury and wellness resorts and an “interactive nature reserve”
The proposed industrial zone will be called a “full cognitive city” that will employ robots and AI and act as a port hub.
TROJENA, one of the regions of the NEOM mega-project, will host a vertical village (pictured), a ski area and a wellness summit
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
