The Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China, and now the Line. It sounds hyperbolic but that’s the sort of scale and ambition that the creators of Saudi Arabia’s city sized skyscraper are aiming for and, despite our initial skepticism that it would actually be realized, work is indeed progressing.

To quickly recap, the Line is a massive mirrored structure that is expected to house a city of around 9 million, which is a population roughly equivalent to that of New York City.

As well as measuring 170 km (105 miles) in length, it’ll have a height of 500 m (1,640 ft) and a width of just 200 m (656 ft). Obviously there are huge practical hurdles to be tackled, not to mention alleged human rights violations and ecological issues, but Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman has expressed his desire to see it built.

Work is now well underway and a new video provided by Neom shows the world’s largest earthworks stretching across the desert into the distance, with excavators and lines of trucks busy preparing the necessary foundations for the building. The scale is incredible and work continues 24/7 to move around millions of cubic meters of soil and water each week.

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The Line is the most notable part of the upcoming Neom giga-project in Saudi Arabia but there have been an incredible number of other projects underway in the country too as it attempts to transition from a primarily oil-based economy to that of a tourist destination, including a cuboid skyscraper large enough to hold 20 Empire State Buildings, a pair of spectacular skyscrapers, and a cliff-hanging arena.

The first phase of The Line project is expected to be completed in 2030 but no doubt there will still be a lot of work left to do beyond that point.

Source: New Atlas