Imagine a city with no roads, no cars, and no pollution. A place where everything you need—homes, shops, schools, and nature—is just a short walk away. This is the dream behind NEOM’s “The Line,” a 170-kilometer futuristic city being built across the Saudi Arabian desert. At first glance, it sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
But as we look closer, things get complicated.
NEOM is more than a shiny idea. It’s part of Saudi Arabia’s $2 trillion plan to step into a new future. And while its vision is exciting—green energy, advanced tech, and perfect harmony between people and the planet—the project is facing major hurdles. Some financial. Some social. Some environmental.
Let’s dive in and explore what makes NEOM so extraordinary your plate, and why that very ambition might be its biggest challenge.
Why NEOM Exists in the First Place
To understand NEOM, we have to understand why it’s happening.
For decades, Saudi Arabia’s economy has depended mostly on oil. But oil prices go up and down, and the world is moving toward cleaner energy. So, the country’s leaders are trying to change. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman introduced Vision 2030, a bold plan to transform Saudi Arabia’s economy and image.
NEOM is the crown jewel of that plan.
It’s not just a city. It’s a message to the world: We’re ready for something new. A zero-carbon lifestyle. A high-tech society. A desert turned into a wonderland of innovation. From robot helpers to flying taxis, NEOM promises the impossible.
But making the impossible real? That’s where the trouble starts.
A $2 Trillion Dream With Shaky Funding
Let’s talk money.
Building something like NEOM costs a lot. Experts estimate that it will need more than $2 trillion to complete. So far, much of that money is coming from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is fueled by—you guessed it—oil money.
Here’s the problem: Oil prices are unstable. One bad year in the oil market can shake the entire plan. And while Saudi Arabia is rich in oil, it still needs help from other investors to plate foods bring NEOM to life.
But many investors are holding back. They worry about the region’s politics. They aren’t sure if NEOM can actually deliver what it promises. And with the global economy tightening, big money isn’t easy to find.
That puts Saudi Arabia in a tough spot: Spend more of its own oil profits, or slow the project down. Either way, it’s risky.
Are There Better Ways to Spend That Money?
That question keeps coming up: Is this the best use of $2 trillion?
Some experts argue that the money could be better spent fixing current problems—like education, housing, or healthcare in Saudi Arabia. These are areas where change is needed now, not decades down the line.
Others point out that many mega-projects in the past have failed or turned into money pits. Without clear signs of profit or global interest, NEOM might become just another beautiful idea that never worked.
And that’s not just a financial concern. It’s a social one too.
The People Behind the Sand
Behind every great project are real people. And in NEOM’s case, some of those people are being pushed out.
The land where NEOM is being built has long been home to tribal communities. Human rights groups report that many families have been forced to leave their homes to make room for the new city. Some were promised compensation. Others weren’t. A few reportedly resisted—and paid a heavy price.
These stories raise serious questions: Is this progress? Or is it just power?
For a city that promises social progress and futuristic harmony, the way it treats its people is deeply important. You can’t build a smart city by silencing voices. You build it by listening to them.
Green in Name, but What About in Nature?
NEOM boasts a zero-carbon footprint. That’s one of its biggest selling points. The idea is simple: a city that doesn’t pollute the air or warm the planet.
But getting there won’t be easy.
To create “The Line,” builders will need to reshape a massive stretch of desert. That means digging, cutting, building, and changing the landscape in ways that could hurt fragile desert ecosystems.
And what about water? Deserts don’t have much of it. NEOM will need advanced systems to get and recycle water—especially as it promises to house nine million people foods eat.
We also don’t have clear answers about how energy will be produced, how waste will be handled, or how building materials will be sourced. Without those answers, the zero-carbon promise feels more like a slogan than a reality.
Green cities sound great. But truly sustainable cities take more than green promises—they need green actions, backed by clear plans.
Who’s Watching NEOM?
With all this ambition, another question comes up: Who’s in charge?
Big projects need clear leadership, fair rules, and regular check-ins. That’s how you avoid waste, fraud, or simply bad decisions. But NEOM has been criticized for being secretive. There’s little public reporting. No independent audits. And decision-making seems to rest with a small group of top officials.
That kind of setup is risky. It opens the door to mismanagement. And it creates the sense that this city isn’t being built with the people, but above them.
Without transparency, it’s hard to trust the process. And trust is everything—especially when you’re asking the world to believe in something this big.
The Vision Is Beautiful—But It Needs Balance
Let’s take a step back.
NEOM, and especially The Line, is one of the most ambitious city-building projects the world has ever seen. And there’s something deeply admirable about that. It’s bold. It’s forward-thinking. It asks the question: What if cities could be better—really better—for people and the planet?
But ambition without caution is dangerous. And progress without accountability is incomplete.
To make NEOM work, Saudi Arabia must face these hard truths:
- The finances must be stable, with diverse investment sources.
- Communities must be protected and heard.
- Nature must be preserved, not just promised.
- Leadership must be transparent and answerable to the public.
What We Can Learn From NEOM
Even if NEOM never fully comes to life as imagined, it’s already doing something important: It’s making the world think differently about cities.
It challenges us to imagine places that don’t revolve around cars, pollution, or endless sprawl. It asks what we could do if we started from scratch. That kind of thinking can spark change far beyond Saudi Arabia.
But let’s not forget—good ideas must be rooted in responsibility. The future of urban life depends not just on imagination, but on ethics. On planning. On care.
Beyond the Mirage
NEOM isn’t just a city. It’s a symbol.
It could become a shining example of innovation and sustainability. Or it could become a cautionary tale of what happens when vision races ahead of wisdom.
The next few years will tell us more.
Until then, NEOM reminds us that real progress takes more than flashy headlines. It takes listening, adapting, and building with both ambition and humility. Because in the end, the cities of tomorrow must be made for everyone—not just for the dreamers, but for the doers, the dwellers, and the generations to come.