The Line is a proposed 170 km–long, zero‑carbon smart city in NEOM, Saudi Arabia—car‑free, AI‑driven, and designed to house up to 9 million people within mirrored towers just 200 m wide. Many observers have suggested a more humane, coastal‑oriented alternative. But our argument is that, regardless of its built form, Saudi Arabia has already won—not just in urban design, but in global narrative, wealth migration, and innovation. Read the below article to learn more:

Under Vision 2030, mega-projects like The Line (and its coastal variant) are less about physical urban form and more about creating a powerful brand image—one projecting connectivity, culture, modernity, and well-being. Critics have dismissed The Line as dystopian greenwash, a “gated glass wall” more symbolic than functional.

Whether The Line is ever built, it has already played a role in Saudi Arabia becoming a global wealth magnet. The Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2025 forecasts an eightfold jump in millionaire inflows—from ~300 in 2024 to ~2,400 in 2025—making KSA the fastest-rising destination worldwide. That is tangible success before a single beam is laid.

Like the moon landing, whose tangible outcomes were eclipsed by its cognitive and technological legacy, The Line acts as a thought experiment. It challenges architects, planners, policymakers, and citizens to reimagine sustainability, density, AI integration, and ecological stewardship—even if the physical project never comes to fruition. They catalyse urban discourse and technological rethink, independently of physical completion.

Beyond green credentials, such projects build a foundation for social sustainability—tourism, civic infrastructure, new livelihoods, and a progressive identity. This invites global talent and reshapes internal norms and governance, ahead of actual construction.

• Tourism: Red Sea resorts, marinas, pedestrian zones.
• Livelihoods: Diversified economies beyond oil—real estate, hospitality, services.
• Identity & Governance: New legal frameworks, civic rights, global urban lifestyles.

Wealthy migrants carry expectations for governance, services, and public life—reshaping society before The Line physically exists.

Signing global sports icons is another major pillar in this urban narrative strategy:

• Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking contract with Al-Nassr isn’t just about goals—it’s a soft-power coup. Football analysts call it “a state branding tool” that “projects high value, status, ambition” and stretches far beyond the pitch.
• The move drove massive media attention, surging social media engagement, and interest in Saudi tourism and the domestic league.
• It demonstrates a growing pattern: from superstars like Ronaldo, Benzema, and Neymar to hosting global tournaments (e.g., 2034 World Cup), KSA is investing in sports diplomacy to reshape international perceptions.

• The Line may never be more than a symbolic structure—but its narrative effects are real.
• Saudi Arabia is already attracting capital, attention, and talent.
• Whether it is a vertical wall or a coastal ribbon, the project is already paying off—in brand, migration, and future-thinking.

Saudi Arabia’s grand visions—The Line, coastal alternatives, and athlete signings—aren’t just about physical urbanism. They are narrative infrastructure: drawing attention, talent, capital, and global brand equity. It’s already paying off in migration, media, and imagination—even before any ground is broken.

📌 TL;DR

• Visionary mega-projects are nation-branding at scale.
• A projected 700% rise in millionaires shows the narrative is working without construction.
• Like space exploration, urban visions birth new imaginaries, regardless of concrete.
• Sustainability is social, economic, and civic, not just environmental.
• Hiring elite footballers = a soft-power strategy, boosting tourism, league awareness, and global image.
• Visionary projects function as intellectual catalysts, regardless of built form.

Lampoon Magazine. (2025, Mar 24). NEOM’s The Line…dystopia?

Moore, R. (2023). A spectacle of reform – The Observer critique

Parametric Architecture. (2023). Visionary utopia or dystopian dream?

Henley & Partners. (2025). Henley Private Wealth Migration Report—Saudi Arabia projected to attract ~2,400 HNWIs ([sources] turn0search5, turn0search1).

Duerden, J. (2023). The Cristiano Ronaldo effect: Saudi Arabia and Al-Nassr — Ronaldo serves as ambassador and brand accelerator for KSA football and national image ([turn0search0]).

Gibbon, G. (2023). Ronaldo’s signing goes beyond money for Saudi Arabia—analysis of branding and geopolitical strategy in sports ([turn0search8]).

Online Scientific Research. (2024). Sporting diplomacy and nation branding through international player signings ([turn0search12]).

“Saudi Pro League Spent Big…”, Time Magazine (2024)—overview of sports investments as part of Vision 2030 soft-power play ([turn0news26]).

Explore Meso Space Projects — designed to enhance regional and national branding.

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