Saudi Arabia is reportedly scaling back its ambitions for the NEOM desert development project, with plans for fewer residents and reduced completion expectations by 2030 due to financial concerns and budget uncertainties.
By 2030, the Saudi government at one point hoped to have 1.5 million residents living in The Line, the biggest project within Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)’s plans for diversifying the oil-dependent economy, according to people familiar with the matter.
Officials have long said The Line would be built in stages, expecting it to ultimately cover a 170-kilometer stretch of desert along the coast.
