Is the Saudi megaproject 'The Line' about to face cuts?

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) compared it to the pyramids of Egypt. Announced in 2016, Neom was supposed to transform Saudi Arabia by 2030, featuring its futuristic linear city spanning 170 km, a ski resort, and even a soccer stadium suspended 350 meters high. According to Bloomberg, a unit of the Public Investment Fund, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that is the majority stakeholder in Neom, hired several consulting firms to evaluate the feasibility, in particular, of its linear city The Line. Already in 2024, the kingdom reduced its ambitions: only 2.4 kilometers were to be completed by 2030, with fewer than 300,000 inhabitants expected by that date, far from the initially projected 1.5 million.A lagging megalopolisWith five years to go before the original completion date, this strategic review must decide between...