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DRAWING THE LINE I Saudi Arabia’s Plans for World’s First Cognitive City
t sounds like the stuff of fantasy. A city built from scratch in the desert, with no cars or roads, powered only by green energy and run on artificial intelligence. This is The Line, Saudi Arabia’s proposed 170-kilometer linear metropolis that its developers are calling one of the most complex and challenging infrastructure projects in the world. Stretching from the Red Sea Coast up through the mountains and upper valleys of northwest Tabuk Province, The Line, dubbed the world’s first
cognitive city, could be home to more than 1 million residents by the end of the decade. Here, cars are consigned to the dustbin of history, replaced by an ultra-high-speed underground public transit system that will propel you from one end to the other in 20 minutes. Climate-busting fossil fuels will be swapped for solar, wind and hydrogen-based generation, while businesses and communities will be “hyper-connected” through a digital
BY SIMON WEST
framework incorporating AI technology and robotics. A press release announcing its launch in January said the project was a “revolution in urban living,” and would address urban challenges such as legacy infrastructure, pollution, traffic and human congestion. “The Line is the first time in 150 years that a major urban development has been designed around people, not roads,” the release said. “Walkability will define life on The Line. All essential daily services, such as schools, The proposed 170-kilometer linear metropolis claims to be one of the most complex and challenging infrastructure projects in the world. CREDIT: NEOM
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