Technology

The Line & NEOM Timeline: Construction, Progress and What Comes Next

The Line is Saudi Arabia's proposed 170-kilometre linear city inside NEOM, unveiled in January 2021. As of August 2026, roughly 2.4 kilometres of foundation wo…

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PAUSE EXTENDED

NEOM Pushes Any Line Resumption Past 2030

A May 22, 2026 Semafor report said NEOM has effectively made the September 2025 construction pause indefinite, with any resumption of work on The Line pushed past 2030,…

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CONTRACTS CANCELLED

NEOM Terminates Contracts Worth $5 Billion+

NEOM terminated the ~$1 billion Line tunnel contract (Hyundai E&C, Samsung C&T, Archirodon), the $1.15 billion Trojena Ski Village steel contract (Eversendai), and Webui…

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CONSTRUCTION PAUSED

PIF Pauses Line Construction Pending Strategic Review

PIF ordered a pause on Line construction pending a strategic review, with roughly 2.4 km of foundation and earthworks completed by that point - about 1.4% of the origina…

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LEAKED AUDIT

WSJ Reports Leaked Audit: Up to $8.8 Trillion, Completion by 2080

The Wall Street Journal reported on a 100-page internal NEOM audit projecting full-scope completion could cost up to $8.8 trillion and stretch to 2080 - a figure NEOM ha…

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CEO REPLACED

NEOM Replaces CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr

NEOM's board announced Nadhmi Al-Nasr's departure after leading the project since 2018. Aiman Al-Mudaifer was named Acting CEO amid reporting linking the change to condu…

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SCOPE CUT REPORTED

Reports: 2030 Target Cut From 170 km to 2.4 km

Bloomberg reported that Saudi officials had scaled back the near-term Line target for 2030 from 170 km to about 2.4 km, and the population target from 1.5 million to rou…

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EARTHWORKS BEGIN

Earthworks and Foundation Activity Begin

Satellite imagery from late 2022 onward showed active site preparation, trenching and excavation at The Line's site near the Gulf of Aqaba, consistent with reported foun…

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THE LINE UNVEILED

The Line Unveiled: 170 km, Zero Cars, Mirrored Facade

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced The Line: a proposed 170-kilometre linear city with no cars or roads, designed to preserve 95% of NEOM's surrounding nature an…

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NEOM ANNOUNCED

NEOM Announced at the Future Investment Initiative

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced NEOM at the first Future Investment Initiative, describing a $500 billion, PIF-backed economic zone in northwest Saudi Arabia…

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