Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Saudi Arabia Moves to Downsize NEOM’s ‘The Line’ as Review Resets Vision 2030 Flagship

Saudi leaders are curbing costs by steering NEOM toward revenue‑generating uses.

Overview

  • An internal strategic review is nearing its conclusion, with people briefed on the process saying The Line will be significantly scaled back and redesigned.
  • NEOM has created a chief‑of‑staff oversight unit led by Mazen Alfuraih under CEO Aiman al‑Mudaifer to tighten governance and state engagement.
  • Several hundred of roughly 6,000 NEOM employees have been laid off as construction on The Line slows and contractors trim their workforces.
  • Saudi authorities acknowledge Trojena will not be ready to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, while work continues on Oxagon and a large green hydrogen plant and the Magma hotel plan is on hold.
  • PIF is reprioritizing capital toward market‑ready projects and AI infrastructure, with multiple reports indicating parts of NEOM could be repurposed for data centers.