Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion giga-project The Line reaches new milestone after reports that 21,000 workers had died

Neom has issued a huge update about The Line amid reports that thousands of people have died since the Vision 2030 project began in 2016.

Saudi Arabia is currently in the process of building a megacity known as The Line as part of its Vision 20230 project, which is said to be costing an eye-watering $100 - 200 billion.

Fronted by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who is thought to be worth around $25 billion, Vision 2030 is described as 'a blueprint that is diversifying the economy, empowering citizens, creating a vibrant environment for both local and international investors, and establishing Saudi Arabia as a global leader'.

The Line will be the first of its kind; a 170km-long and 200m wide city without cars or roads, which will run entirely on renewable energy.

While the ginormous venture is hoped to boost tourism in Saudi Arabia, it hasn't come without its flaws.

In February 2023, Middle East Eye reported that at least 47 members of the Al-Howeitat tribe in Saudi Arabia had been either arrested or detained for resisting eviction from the land in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk province to make way for the project.

A report by human rights organisation Alqst called The Dark Side of Neom also found that 14 members of the Al-Howeitat tribe had been given prison sentences between 15 and 50 years.

Elsewhere, it's been reported that 21,000 workers have died since the Vision 2030 plans were launched in 2016.

The harrowing figure was revealed in an ITV documentary titled Kingdom Uncovered: Inside Saudi Arabia that was released last month.

But the Saudi Arabian National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, which manages regulations at the nation's construction sites, has denied that this is the case.

It said in a statement, as per Newsweek: "In reference to the misinformation circulating across various media platforms - particularly claims suggesting an increase in worker fatalities linked to working conditions in Saudi Arabia, accompanied by unfounded statistics lacking credible sources - the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health in Saudi Arabia unequivocally refutes these assertions."

It continued: "The council affirms the work-related fatalities in Saudi Arabia is 1.12 per 100,000 workers. This figure positions Saudi Arabia among the lowest globally in terms of work-related fatalities."

Away from the apparent 'misinformation', Neom has issued an update on The Line and shared that phase one will soon begin.

Yesterday (November 11), Neom announced that it had appointed 'world-leading partners to deliver the core city planning, design, and engineering for the first phase of THE LINE'.

The announcement went on: "Delugan Meissl Associate Architects (DMAA), Gensler and Mott MacDonald are collaborating with THE LINE’s design, development and project delivery teams to provide urban design, planning consultancy and infrastructure design for the first phase of the city.

"NEOM, with the support of this group, has established a sophisticated design ecosystem with advanced and rigorous methodologies to deliver on THE LINE’s urban objectives. This will then be followed by the planning and design of the neighborhoods within phase one, which will be undertaken by a suite of architects starting early 2025."