A “confidential” set of plans from 2021 for Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion skyscrapers called “Neom” or “The Mirror Line” were recently reviewed by several media outlets revealing more details about the project. The project’s website can be located here.
The project conceived by the Prince to diversify the kingdom’s economy from reliance on oil is ambitious. The mirror line will consist of 2 skyscrapers up to 1600 feet (about 145 stories) in height and 120 km (74.56 miles) long across coastal, mountain and desert terrains. It is estimated that the buildings will house about 5 million people when completed.
Amenities to be included will be a high-speed train running underneath the buildings, vertical farms, a sports stadium, and a marina for yachts. The initial impact assessments show that the project would take at least 50 years to build, it will have to be built in stages, and the potential effect on the environment, groundwater flow and migration patterns. It will also be interesting to see how the planners deal with the lack of sunlight because of the shade created by one structure and the earth’s curvature.
Nevertheless, we will keep an eye on the project’s progression over the next few years. One thing is certain, should the Prince be able to break ground on Neom, the economic effect on the construction industry would be significant.