In a significant turn of events, Saudi Arabia's groundbreaking desert city project, 'The Line', is being drastically scaled back from its original plans. The ambitious project, which was envisioned as part of the $1.5 trillion urban desert city Neom, situated in Tabuk, will now see only 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) completed by 2030, instead of the initially planned 170 kilometers (105 miles).

The Line, touted as a "mirrored architectural masterpiece," was projected to accommodate a staggering 1.5 million residents by 2030, but now the developers anticipate having fewer than 300,000 inhabitants in the city by that time. This dramatic reduction in scope is a clear departure from the lofty goals set out for the project.

Originally touted as a city that would offer "never-before-seen efficiencies" and an "ideal climate all-year-round," The Line aimed to provide easy access to all daily essentials within a five-minute walk. The Neom website claimed that it would eventually host 9 million people, covering a footprint of just 34 square kilometers (13.1 square miles).

However, the scaling back of The Line's development has already started to impact the workforce, with at least one contractor dismissing a portion of workers on-site. This setback comes as the Saudi government's sovereign wealth fund has yet to approve Neom's budget for 2024, raising concerns about the massive investment required for the project.

Neom, touted as a transformative initiative to bolster Saudi Arabia's economy, is not limited to The Line alone. It also encompasses an industrial city, ports, and tourism developments. Additionally, in 2029, Neom has been slated to host the Asian Winter Games at the mountain resort Trojena.

While there have been admissions of delays in achieving the 2030 goal, Finance Minister Mohammed Al Japan asserted in December that building sufficient human resources would require a significant amount of time. The CEO of Neom, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, has expressed confidence in overcoming the challenges and completing the project, emphasizing the importance of facing difficulties head-on.

As 'The Line' project faces significant downscaling, industry experts and stakeholders will be watching closely to see how this development unfolds and what it means for the ambitious vision of Neom. The success of this project holds great significance for the Saudi government's bold economic transformation plans, and it remains to be seen how they will navigate the obstacles and setbacks encountered along the way.