US EditionSaudi Arabia Scales Back NEOM Megacity as Costs Soar
Saudi Arabia's NEOM project is being downsized due to rising costs and delays, with The Line scaled back and a shift toward AI data centers and existing infrastructure use.
- This year, Saudi Arabia will scale back and redesign the NEOM project as a year-long internal review nears completion, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman envisioning a `far smaller` development.
- Facing tighter liquidity after heavy spending, Riyadh moved to reassess NEOM amid major financial commitments for Expo 2030 and World Cup 2034, increasing budget strain.
- The Line was originally forecast to cost $500bn and span 170 kilometres, featuring 500-metre mirrored skyscrapers in a linear city, challenging its feasibility.
- Trojena ski resort will be downsized and will no longer host the Asian Winter Games 2029, with around $50bn already spent on NEOM, highlighting large sunk costs.
- NEOM's leadership change last year set a review in motion that recommends repurposing infrastructure and pivoting toward data centres and AI as the PIF manages nearly $1 trillion.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Neom’s fate awaits us all
Perhaps it takes a monarch to try and wrestle the landscape itself into submission. The 17th-century Moroccan sultan Moulay Ismail dedicated his reign (and the lives of countless slaves) to the construction of a palace complex so vast it became known simply as Dar Kbira, “The Big”. So huge that it remained under construction for all 55 years of Moulay Ismail’s reign, Dar Kbira was initially meant to stretch 300 miles, from Meknes to Marrakesh. B…
Conservative Review
The BlazeSaudi Arabia scraps its futuristic city inside a giant wall — to turn it into this
Saudi Arabia's world-renowned megaproject called the Line is seemingly making a U-turn.In 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a futuristic city that was every globalist's dream.'As a development that's meant to span generations, Neom is advancing projects in line with strategic priorities.'The city was to be "free of cars and streets," with residents able to hop on high-speed trains to traverse the city in around 20 minutes. A press…
Saudi Arabia 'scaling back 100-mile-long megacity to something "far smaller"' amid spiralling costs - The Mirror
Plans for the city of Neom, once envisioned as the future of Saudi Arabia, have reportedly been dealt another blow, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ordering a reevaluation of the project
The end of The Line? Saudi Arabia scales down plans for Neom megacity
After years of cost overruns and delays, Saudi Arabia’s flagship futuristic megaproject, Neom, is set to be significantly scaled back. The futuristic super-city, meant to run entirely on alternative energy sources, was due to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, which has now been postponed.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
