The Line: Inside Saudi Arabia's 170-Kilometre Desert City Ambition

The B1M investigates The Line, Saudi Arabia's audacious NEOM project. Beginning with a 200 metre wide trench and a vast raft foundation, the video explains how thousands of piles reach bedrock to support a 170-kilometre city that supposedly redefines urban living. It covers the engineering challenges of piling, dewatering to combat saline groundwater, and a new supply chain for concrete, all while questioning whether phase one, a mere 2.4 kilometres, will attract the investment needed for the rest. The host compares the design to cyberpunk visions, discusses transport across five stacked decks, and highlights the political and financial pressures that could derail or redefine the project. The video also touches on aesthetics, livability without outdoor air conditioning, and the strategic use of anchor assets to spur development.

Introduction: What is The Line and NEOM?

The video provides an overview of The Line, Saudi Arabia's ambitious mega-project within the NEOM region. Conceived as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030, The Line aims to create a 170-kilometre long, 200-metre wide, five-deck city that could redefine how people live in extreme climates. The narrator emphasizes the scale, the audacity, and the endless debates about feasibility and cost, framing 2026 as a decisive year when progress must be measured not by hype but by measurable height and progress on the ground.

Foundations: The Ground Under a Desert City

The core challenge is building a uniform, stable footing across varied terrain—from hard rock to salt-laden desert soil. The video explains pile and raft foundations, illustrating with a bean bag representation of Quaternary deposits and bedrock. Phase one reportedly involves more than 16,000 piles reaching up to 70 metres deep, with an 8-metre thick raft forming the base for major structures. Concrete demand is immense, with estimates of up to 3.5 million cubic metres used so far. An automated factory churns out tens of thousands of rebar cages for the piles, while precision drilling uses GPS to place them accurately. A biodegradable liquid is used to prevent hole collapse before concreting, illustrating the sophistication required for such groundwork.

Water, Concrete, and the Oxygen Desalination Plan

Pouring concrete at scale across the city requires consistent water and materials supply. The video highlights a critical bottleneck: water. A desalination hub called Oxygen will deliver billions of litres of seawater to reservoirs along The Line, feeding a 190 million dollar network of concrete plants capable of 20,000 cubic metres of concrete per day. However, as of late 2025, the Oxygen project had not progressed to full operational status, prompting concern that local water and materials supply may not scale with demand. The narrator notes unconfirmed reports that the desalination plans could be scrapped, underscoring the risk of far-reaching delays and the potential collapse of the supply chain for phase-one construction.

Anchor Assets: How Phase One Aims to Attract Investment

Phase One is described as a strategic procurement of anchor assets designed to unlock subsequent development. The plan includes a 46,000-capacity Neom Stadium, a man-made marina, and a 170-kilometre city framework. The concept of anchor assets—major, visually spectacular features intended to draw investment around them—reflects a broader practice in city-building. The video contrasts this approach with the grand, complete city the project proposes, arguing that anchor assets may be a pragmatic way to begin financing and stimulating growth, even if the overall project remains unfinished or unrealized for many years.

City Structure and Transport: A 1.5-Kilometre Grid, Five Decks

The Line is presented as a city built within a multilevel framework rather than a single megastructure. The planned transport system includes a high-speed rail link from the airport to the western tip, claiming a 20-minute journey across 170 kilometres—an assertion that invites skepticism when compared with existing high-speed technologies. The five primary decks will house transit and urban functions with a dense, 100-metre multi-level rail network interconnecting neighborhoods. The host argues this seven-layer approach challenges conventional urban planning by proposing a constantly moving, vertically stacked city, while asking whether such a design truly eliminates car dependency and optimizes travel distances in practice.

Aesthetics, Materials, and the Cyberpunk Inspiration

Design aesthetics borrow from cyberpunk, with reflective mirror-like façades inspired by futuristic architecture. The video explains the science behind mirror finishes and why typical tempered glass coatings are insufficient in desert conditions. A key example is the Araya mirror, developed to withstand extreme heat and solar radiation. The speaker also notes that the line will not be air conditioned outdoors, a controversial design choice that raises questions about heat management, climate comfort, and the feasibility of urban life in extreme heat without traditional cooling methods.

Livability, 15-Minute City, and Transportation Realities

To function as a city, The Line must provide all daily needs within a short walk, echoing the 15-minute city concept. However, given the desert environment and scale, the video questions whether a truly livable, car-free, climate-resilient urban space can be achieved. The transport section discusses a radial, circular argument, comparing it to the limitations of a circle in Apple Park, where a radial design could reduce travel distances, yet the line’s straight, elongated form may complicate equitable access across its entire length.

Economic, Political, and Media Realities

The Financial Times and others have reported leadership concerns about the project’s feasibility, with executives privately questioning its impossibility. The video emphasizes the political weight of MBS and the need for substantial private and foreign investment to de-risk a project of this magnitude. It also highlights questions about press access and human rights concerns, noting that journalists have found it difficult to gain access to the site and that relations with the press in Saudi Arabia remain complex. The video frames these concerns within Vision 2030 and the broader question of whether the line will become a symbol of national transformation or a costly, stalled megaproject.

Comparisons and Cultural Context

To provide perspective, the video compares The Line to Brasilia, noting Brasilia's audacious, jet-age planning and its status as a symbol of a nation’s modernization. It also references Snow Crash as an influence on cyberpunk aesthetics. The narrator stresses that even if the project is built, its livability and sustainability will determine whether it becomes a lasting landmark or a cautionary tale about overambition and budget pressures.

Conclusion: Making or Breaking 2026

Ultimately, the video argues that 2026 could be decisive for The Line. If progress does not proceed with tangible structural height and scalable activity, even wealthy sponsorship and grand design may not suffice to deliver a habitable, sustainable city. The host concludes by noting that the project’s fate may hinge on broader political will, economic conditions, and credible, deliverable milestones rather than hype or dramatic drone footage.