Today I read about the grandiose Saudi plan to create a 160-story skyscraper that stretches across the desert for 75 miles. Actually, there would be TWO of them that run in parallel and connect via walkways and other means in between. It’s called Mirror Line and it’s part of a $1 trillion futuristic development that the Saudi government believes will transform their country and diversify it away from solely being an “oil producing nation”.
“I want to build my pyramids,” said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Crown Prince was referring to creating something that the world has never seen before; something that would live for generations (centuries, perhaps?) and be his lasting legacy to his Kingdom and to the world. A sustainable building-city.
Read his quote above again. Tell me if he’s saving the world or if it’s merely self-indulgence and stroking his own ego.
“The Line” as it’s affectionately known would bisect mountain ranges and run through the desert, all the way to the the Gulf of Aqaba. The linear city would have no cars and zero pollution. It would have a high-speed rail built below it, vertical farming, and of course its own sports stadium. Prince Mohammed calls it “an evolution in human achievement”, akin to the discovery of penicillin and the moon landing.
Grandiose plans and impact, indeed.
I think Prince Mohammed was watching the growth and transformation of Dubai over the last 20 years and wanting something similar for himself and the 35 million Saudi Arabians. They are obviously a very wealthy nation and can afford massive projects such as these, including the “Neom” project which is a $500 billion futuristic city built in the desert. Those projects come with risk, however, including highs and lows in both the local and the global economy.
Challenges they’re facing along the way include labor and materials shortages, environmental concerns, and even physics. I was today years old when I learned that the earth arcs 8 inches every mile due to its curvature (or 1/64th of an inch for every ten feet). For a building spanning 75 miles long that has to be factored into the engineering.
The Prince has given a deadline of 2030 to build these things and change his Kingdom — and the world — forever. I think it’s a bit aggressive but what do I know. Perhaps he gave that timeline because he wants to see it during his lifetime. He’s only 36 years old now. He’ll be around 45 when completed. You’d think he could pad that a bit but maybe the Saudi royals live fast and die young and he wants to get it while the getting’s good.
Prince Mohammed is obviously a powerful man of wealth, influence, and education. It’s his job and his destiny to lead the Kingdom into the future. While the country has its challenges meeting the progressive expectations of the West, including human rights issues and gender equality gaps, it continues to be a major player and influence due to its vast oil reserves. Try as we might, we’re far from energy independence and rely on Saudi Arabia for approximately 520,000 barrels of oil PER DAY.
Bottom line is they have money to spend.
To some, the Prince is “reinvesting” in his country and his people.
To others, the Prince is simply looking to do something the world has never seen before.
Fortunately we only have 8 years to find out how the Mirror Line works out.