Saudi Arabia Launches THE LINE, the First Zero-carbon City
Saudi Arabia is on track to establishing THE LINE, a zero-carbon city at NEOM, a massive high-tech development that models a new future with groundbreaking concepts that will be powered by clean energy technologies and will be home to more than a million residents.
"We need to transform the concept of a conventional city into that of a futuristic one," said His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of the NEOM Board of Directors. "Today, I present to you The Line, a city of a million residents with a length of 170 km that preserves 95 percent of nature within NEOM, with zero cars, zero streets and zero carbon emissions."
Focusing on reducing emissions in cities has been a top priority in recent years globally. Cities account for three-quarters of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and two-thirds of the world's energy consumption. Cities are particularly vulnerable to climate change, and more than a billion people will likely have to relocate from low-lying coastal areas by 2060 due to climate change.
"We applaud the Kingdom for its vision and efforts to employ advanced technological solutions to address the urgency of climate change," says IEF Secretary General Joseph McMonigle. "THE LINE is an ambitious and achievable project that will serve as a global model for developing and revamping cities to reflect the needs of the 21st century."
THE LINE will feature carbon-positive, mixed-use developments that will be powered by clean energy and controlled with the assistance of artificial intelligence, resulting in a pollution-free, healthier, and more sustainable environment for people who live and work there.
A cornerstone of Saudi Vision 2030, NEOM is expected to become an economic engine for the Kingdom. Officials anticipate that NEOM will drive diversification, generate 380,000 jobs and contribute SAR180 billion (USD48 billion) to Saudi Arabia's GDP by 2030. Construction on THE LINE will begin in the first quarter of 2021.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, is the central investor in NEOM. The business zone is scheduled for completion in 2025. THE LINE will stretch about 170 km, and the infrastructure for the city is expected to cost up to $200 billion.
The Crown Prince noted that, "The backbone of investment in THE LINE will come from the $500 billion support to NEOM by the Saudi government, PIF and local and global investors over 10 years."
NEOM is located in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea. It will include towns and cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centres, sports and entertainment venues, and tourist destinations.
