Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia’s $500-billion megacity NEOM has appointed Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, Gensler, and Mott MacDonald to deliver the planning, designing, and engineering for the initial phase of The Line. 

In a press statement, the giga-project revealed that DMAA has been enlisted as the urban designer, leading The Line’s concept and detailed blueprint. 

The Austrian architecture firm will also collaborate with specialists across various sectors, such as microclimate and ecology, mobility and logistics, and sustainability. 

To reduce the country’s dependence on crude revenues, developing giga-projects like NEOM is crucial for Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom is steadily diversifying its economy by strengthening sectors like tourism. 

The National Tourism Strategy of Saudi Arabia aims to attract 150 million visitors by 2030 and increase the sector’s contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product from 6 percent to 10 percent.

The Line, which stretches across 170 km, is expected to accommodate 9 million visitors upon completion. The city will run on 100 percent renewable energy, and 95 percent of the land will be preserved for nature. 

“As development and construction of The Line progresses, we have established a unique partnership that brings world-leading city design and engineering expertise to deliver phase one,” said Denis Hickey, chief development officer at The Line. 

He added: “Collaboration is at the core of this, with a city-wide best practice group that will showcase how innovation can change the way we consider, design and build cities forever. This reflects NEOM’s vision and global ambition.” 

According to the press statement, design firm Gensler has been appointed city planning consultant for phase one. The company will work on design coordination and planning, providing leadership and governance across the project in crucial areas, including planning policies and frameworks, land use, and design compliance. 

Gensler has also been appointed as the city asset design architect for critical infrastructure, including transport hubs and the public realm.

NEOM added that Mott MacDonald has been enlisted as the city infrastructure engineer. The company will drive management and control of vertical and horizontal structures and city utility systems for phase one. 

Mott MacDonald’s role will also focus on the efficiency and sustainability of the design for a functional, constructible, and operable city.

In October, NEOM announced the opening of Sindalah, the luxury island destination located within the project.