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Saudi Arabia: Photos show concrete construction work at Neom’s The Line

 

Imagery captures pace of development at Neom's The Line 

New aerial imagery shared by a NEOM executive confirms that concrete construction has begun on The Line, a central feature of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious NEOM development. The photos also reveal extensive groundworks, dozens of wind turbines, and large-scale infrastructure activity across the broader NEOM region.

NEOM is a flagship initiative of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030, aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond oil and gas. Located in the northwest of the country, NEOM is set to host a collection of futuristic developments with a strong focus on tourism, technology, and sustainability. The Line is its most iconic project.

 

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Construction Progress

The Line is envisioned as a 170-kilometre linear city consisting of two parallel skyscrapers, each 500 metres tall and spaced 300 metres apart, housing everything from residential areas to commercial, educational, and recreational spaces. All activity is intended to occur within this linear footprint, connected by high-speed rail.

Recent images posted by NEOM’s Chief Operating Officer Giles Pendleton on LinkedIn depict concrete foundations and structural walls now in place. One photo shows a long trench with a concrete base and rising walls, alongside what appears to be black piping and dirt access roads. This, according to a NEOM spokesperson, is part of a water pipeline for an adjacent area within the broader NEOM zone.

Renewable Energy and Infrastructure

Two images show over 60 wind turbines installed in the surrounding desert, although The Line itself is not visible in those shots. Other photos reveal dozens of cranes and heavy goods vehicles engaged in excavation and material transport, though their exact operations remain unspecified.

 

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Pendleton’s caption read:
“NEOM is real part 24. A good snapshot of progress and a range of NEOM infrastructure projects—from the water pipeline to new camps completing to massive work at Octagon harbour—showing things from a very different viewpoint from the air.”

Activity at Oxagon and the Port

Three of the images highlight ongoing construction at Oxagon, NEOM’s industrial hub, which includes the Port of NEOM. Visible in the photos are large vessels and various shoreline industrial activities, although specific details were not confirmed.

Another image features an accommodation zone with vast, empty parking lots and a view of the Gulf of Aqaba in the distance.

Controversy and Changing Plans

Despite visible progress, The Line remains mired in controversy and speculation. Official updates from Saudi authorities have been scarce, and various reports suggest the city may be built in phases or with a reduced overall length from the original 170km vision.

Initially, the government aimed for 1.5 million residents by 2030, but this was reportedly scaled back to under 300,000 as of April 2024—claims which were denied by Saudi Economy and Planning Minister Faisal Al Ibrahim.

 

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NEOM has also faced human rights concerns. In October 2024, ITV’s Kingdom Uncovered documentary alleged that 21,000 migrant workers had died since work on Vision 2030 projects began in 2016. Saudi officials dismissed these claims as “misinformation.” Major engineering firms linked to NEOM, such as Mott MacDonald, Bechtel, Aecom, and others, have remained silent on the matter.

Despite the controversy, the latest imagery provides a rare look at real-time construction progress on one of the world’s most ambitious and scrutinized urban megaprojects.

Source: https://www.newcivilengineer.com/

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