THE FIRST 21 MILLION SQM OF THE LINE CITY IN SAUDI ARABIA UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Covering 21 million square meters, the Hidden Marina development in Saudi Arabia will include three interconnected structures with 80,000 residential units expected to accommodate over 200,000 people.
Neom CDO Denis Hickey revealed the news at the PIF Private Sector Forum in Riyadh last week, according to the Saudi Gazette.
“Hidden Marina, the first section of The Line, will stretch 2.5 kilometers in length and rise 500 meters in height,” said Hickey.
“With a built-up area exceeding 21 million square meters, the scale of Hidden Marina is unprecedented, dwarfing global landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa, which has a built-up area of just 350,000 square meters,” he continued.
Construction of the marina has begun, according to Hickey, with more than 140,000 workers currently employed on the project. “With a workforce representing more than 100 countries, including 40% of Saudi Arabia’s local talent, the initiative is a testament to Neom’s global reach and strategic vision,” he added.
Infrastructure development has been based on an investment of over $140 billion, ensuring that essential services such as energy, water, transportation, data and communications are in place to support the emerging metropolis.
The first phase of The Line is being designed by Austrian studio Delugan Meissl Associated Architects and global studio Gensler.
According to Neom, in addition to the residential sections of Hidden Marina, there will be 9,000 hotel rooms, commercial spaces and community infrastructure, such as fire stations and schools. In addition, a stadium for the 2034 World Cup will be built there, as well as an artificial marina.
The Line is set to be the centerpiece of the Neom project in northwestern Saudi Arabia, which is one of 14 giga projects being developed in the country as part of its plan to minimize its economic dependence on oil.
Hickey’s announcement last week follows a recent update on the project given by Neom deputy CEO Rayan Fayez at the World Economic Forum conference in Davos.
Fayez explained that the project was an “economy-building exercise” and revealed that construction of the area in northwestern Saudi Arabia has so far cost more than $50 billion. However, the Neom project, which is one of the largest and most controversial developments in the world, has been widely criticized on environmental and human rights grounds.