In recent months, the internet has been flooded with videos of the Middle East's new futuristic wonder: Neom, or The Line, a planned city commissioned by the Saudi Arabian government to rival its neighbors, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. As Henry Grabar writes, the city is a collection of buzzwords like "smart city," "net-zero carbon," and "15-minute city." In a world where images go viral faster than cities can actually be built, these concepts serve as powerful marketing tools. Yet, so far, no explanation has been offered as to how they will actually be implemented.
Everything about The Line is colossal. From above, the project is a massive 170-kilometer line slicing across the Arabian Peninsula. From the ground, it consists of two immense parallel skyscrapers reaching up to 500 meters in height. The city is intended to house up to 9 million people, who would have to resign themselves to living between two walls—that is, if the project is actually built, which seems highly unlikely.
