A few years ago, the world dreamed of a dream that seemed like science fiction. A 100-mile-long, straight city line in the desert, with no cars, no roads, and no pollution. It was called The Line and was touted as the face of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. But today, after billions of dollars in investment, that dream has been quietly shrunk. There's no formal announcement, no press conference, just a subtle hint that what was envisioned will never be built. This is where the real question begins: who is responsible for such a monumental decision?
The Line: What was the dream, what was the reality?
The Line was presented as the city of the future, with a 170-kilometer-long city, a population of 9 million people, zero carbon emissions, AI-controlled life, and a 20-minute commute to any part of the city. It wasn't just a city, but a message that Saudi Arabia could lead the world even after oil. But once it was realized, this dream ran into technical, economic, and human obstacles.
Billions of Dollars Spent, but Zero Transparency
Reports indicate that billions of dollars have already been spent. The money was spent on extensive construction, excavation, and infrastructure. Numerous international companies and consultants were involved. Despite this, the government doesn't clearly disclose the total cost. It hasn't disclosed how much the project has been scaled down. There's no public independent audit. Critics say this is a problem of "megaproject culture," where dreams are sold to demonstrate power, but no one is held accountable for failure.
Why was The Line abandoned or scaled back?
There are several deeper reasons:
1. Economic Reality
Oil prices are uncertain, multiple Vision 2030 projects are ongoing simultaneously, and the return on investment for a project like The Line is extremely unclear.
2. Technological Overconfidence
The technology on which The Line rested—ultra-high-speed transit, a fully AI-powered city, and a massive mirror structure—either didn't exist or was prohibitively expensive.
3. International Investors' Hesitation
After initial enthusiasm, investors began asking questions like, "When will there be profits?" Who will bear the risk? And that's where the pace slowed.
Why is the issue of accountability so sensitive?
The Line wasn't just a city. It was a project linked to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's personal political identity. In such a situation, open criticism is difficult. Public scrutiny is virtually impossible, and decisions flow from the top down. So critics are asking, "If billions of dollars are wasted, who will take responsibility?" But this question is not easy to find an answer to within the Saudi system.
Impact on Vision 2030
The Line's collapse is a significant signal:
* Vision 2030's dreams are caught between rebranding and reality
* The world isn't taking Saudi announcements as seriously as before
* The shift from megaprojects to manageable projects is evident.
This shift is an admission that not every futuristic dream can be grounded.
Conclusion: Not a dream, but a system under question
The Line's case isn't just the story of a failed project. It reveals how power builds legitimacy through dreams. How development without transparency becomes a risk, and why even the future can be empty without accountability. Today, The Line may not be completely dead, but its 100-mile-long dream has become history. The real question now isn't why The Line wasn't built, but who will tell the public and the world the truth about such a major decision?
Read more : - Time and Perspective
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