NEOM Reviews The Line Timeline, Downsizes First Phase

Authorities have carried out a strategic review of NEOM, the Vision 2030 giga‑project in the Tabuk region, resulting in revised timelines and a downsized, phased approach to some of its most ambitious developments. NEOM remains an official strategic project, but the emphasis has shifted toward industrial, port, energy and limited tourism assets rather than a single completed megacity by 2030.

The most significant change concerns The Line. Construction of the superstructure has been suspended following the review, with piling and foundation work covering roughly 2.4 km of the planned alignment and no above‑ground city yet built. The originally publicized 170 km concept has effectively been deferred, and work beyond the initial section has been pushed back to after 2030. The population target, once cited at around 1.5 to 9 million residents, has been cut to up to 100,000–300,000 residents by 2030.

New contract awards for large‑scale construction on The Line have largely stopped since 2025 while costs and timelines are reassessed. The Public Investment Fund's review shifted priority spending toward ports, data centers, industrial zones and green hydrogen, with the twin‑skyscraper concept redesigned to lower cost.

Projects moving ahead

Several NEOM components remain on track. The NEOM Green Hydrogen Company plant is about 80% complete, designed to produce roughly 600 metric tons of green hydrogen with commissioning targeted around the third quarter of 2026 and first green ammonia exports by year‑end. A renewable‑powered data center at Oxagon is under development under a $5 billion agreement signed in early 2026. Sindalah Island in the Red Sea is under active construction, with a soft opening planned for late 2026.

For residents and expats, the reset signals a more gradual, infrastructure‑led build‑out. NEOM continues to feature in official Vision 2030 plans, but now as a long‑term, modular project delivered in phases.

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