Saudi Arabia is quietly reshaping one of the most ambitious megaprojects ever proposed.
The kingdom’s futuristic 170-kilometer city, The Line, was originally envisioned as a massive mirrored development capable of housing as many as 9 million people. Now, the project is being significantly scaled back as Saudi Arabia reassesses the broader NEOM vision.
Rather than building the entire sci-fi city across the desert as originally planned, attention is increasingly shifting toward AI data centers, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure as the kingdom works to establish itself as a major global technology hub.
The Line had already faced mounting challenges. Estimates suggested the complete project could eventually cost trillions of dollars, while reports of delays, reduced construction targets, and funding concerns continued to raise questions about whether the original vision was realistic.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and computing infrastructure. Major technology companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle have announced significant investments in the region as the country pushes to become a global center for AI and cloud computing.