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Designs for Saudi Arabia's The Line are stretching the imagination once again, with baffling concept images showing a ship travelling through the megacity, amid reports that the ambitious project will need to be scaled back.
NEOM, which is behind the project and is the brainchild of ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, claims the 106-mile metropolis will 'redefine liveability' and 'transform how we live'.
But critics have said the grand plan is unfeasible, with a Bloomberg report last month suggesting it's length will be reduced by 98 per cent to just one-and-a-half miles and will be home to just 300,000 people by 2030, rather than 1.5 million.
Renderings suggest that the metropolis will be encased in two long mirrored skyscrapers which reflect the sky, surrounding desert and water, giving the illusion of invisibility.
So when a cruise ship sails towards its concealed entrance, it appears to vanish from a certain angle, with little explanation available as to what purpose the futuristic marina would serve or how it will be accessed.
The metropolis appears to be invisible, floating over a marina, in one confusing artist's impression of the plans
Renderings suggest that the metropolis will be encased in two long mirrored skyscrapers which reflect the sky, surrounding desert and water
NEOM claims the 106-mile futuristic metropolis will 'redefine liveability' and 'transform how we live'
New aerial pictures of the construction site show a bare desert landscape and no apparent foundations
The Line has been pitched as a new vision for urban design - with computer generated promotional material making it look like something out of a science fiction film
A map shows where The Line was set to be built, and how long it would have been. Saudi officials said it would be built in stages, and would eventually cover a 106-mile stretch of desert along the coast of the Red Sea in the western Tabuk province
The Line has been pitched as a new vision for urban design - with computer generated promotional material making it look like something out of a science fiction film.
As well as its otherworldly designs, the staggering cost of the huge project has sparked scepticism about its viability.
When it was first announced, The Line was slated to cost $1.5 trillion (£1.2tn), but now reports have emerged that it could cost more than $2 trillion if it is built in full.
The first 1.5 miles of The Line alone are estimated to cost more than $100 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports today, citing two employees familiar with the plans.
Analysts have also expressed concern over technology touted by the project that is yet to be invented.
Unsurprisingly, it has consistently raised eyebrows for proposed flourishes like flying taxis and robot maids.
And its proposed mirrored walls have also proved controversial, with experts warning that the vast surfaces would be a 'death trap' for for millions of birds migrating between Europe and Africa each year.
The Line is seen in a concept video released by Saudi Arabia, showing the two vast structures stretching off into the distance
The Line - part of the country's audacious and futuristic NEOM project - was meant to be 106 mile sin length and home to 1.5 million residents by the end of the decade. According to Bloomberg, the plans have been scaled back, with The Line now set to be just 1.5 miles
Saudi Arabia has been forced to scale back its $1.5trillion plans for a 106-mile linear desert city (pictured in concept images), according to reports, in a humiliating decision for the kingdom
As Saudi Arabia touted the finished projects sustainability credentials, researchers identified the construction project itself as one of the 15 most pressing conservation issues to watch in 2024.
Experts have said in a study released in December that a combination of factors mean it poses a huge risk to birds that migrate over Saudi Arabia every year.
These include the mirrored facades, the city's orientation and the intention to have wind turbines along the top of it.
The Line has been promoted as an entirely green city, powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.
NEOM said three million cubic tonnes of earth are being moved thanks to their teams of excavators
It is one of 15 projects announced as part of Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious NEOM undertaking.
It is part of the Crown Prince's overall 'Vision 2030' scheme to reshape his oil-dependent country's economy and image.
In a progress video released by NEOM earlier this year, Chief Development Officer Denis Hickey said the Saudi megadevelopment is committed to hit ambitious development targets.
He said: 'The first phase of The Line will be complete by 2030. We are committed.
'We've done a lot of the foundation work, literally and figuratively. I think the construction of The Line is unique in terms of its industrialisation and its modulised approach'.
NEOM was first announced in 2017, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (pictured) delivering a presentation on The Line in July 2022
New aerial pictures of the construction site show a bare desert landscape and no apparent foundations.
Hundreds of diggers are seen in the clip, with NEOM saying three million cubic tonnes of earth are being moved thanks to their teams of excavators.
With the group insisting that the plans are going ahead as intended, the clip is captioned: 'Our vertical city is progressing. Witness the first phase of our masterplan take shape.'
NEOM as a whole remains one of the largest and most difficult construction projects in history, with the region set to cover a 10,000 square mile swathe of desert - the size of Belgium.
NEOM has been contacted for comment.
