Executives raised numerous concerns with management regarding the ambitious project known as The Line. From the beginning, there were warnings issued to ensure that the leadership, especially at the board level, were fully aware of the risks involved, as stated by a senior executive.
Questions arose about where the 9 million people slated to populate The Line would come from and how quickly they could be expected to arrive. There were also concerns about whether construction and manufacturing could commence swiftly enough, the potential for overheating the economy due to the levels of imports required, the impact of sinking oil prices on Saudi Arabia’s revenue, the availability of necessary materials, and the nation’s scientific and technical expertise to execute such a massive scheme.
Despite these concerns, there was relentless pressure to deliver on the project. The board expected the chief executive to expedite things rapidly, without a detailed plan on how to achieve the set goals. This lack of clarity led to tensions as deadlines were set and made public, creating a risk of loss of face if they were not met.
Staff found themselves in a challenging position of having to misrepresent timescales and costs associated with delivering the project’s vision, adding to the growing tensions within the organization.
The visible progress of The Line project could already be observed from space, with satellite imagery showing excavation and tunnelling work for the railway system that would connect The Line to Neom International Airport. However, construction work has halted on both the spine and the airport, with no new target set for the airport’s completion.
The foundations for The Line’s first modules, which would support the world’s largest occupied building, are in place but remain unused. The village of Qayal was demolished, and members of the Huwaitat tribe who protested against their eviction faced severe consequences.
At the marina, significant excavation work has been done, with plans for a chandelier and an upside-down office building hanging from a giant arch. However, Neom no longer plans to base its headquarters there, and the project’s budget continues to evolve daily.
With the revised goal of building only three of the originally planned 20 modules, the project’s ambition has significantly diminished. Work has essentially stopped, with the focus shifting to completing a few small buildings around the marina. Some of the earlier piling work has been covered with sand, indicating a slowdown in progress.
As one urban planning expert working in Saudi Arabia pointed out, while the project may have been a great thought experiment, the focus now should be on tangible results rather than building on abstract ideas.
