Saudi Arabia Plans to Construct the World’s Largest Building in NEOM

Saudi Arabia will build one of the world’s largest structures spanning 121 kilometers in width and up to 488 meters in height, in the desert city of NEOM. Dubbed the “The Line”, the mega project is expected to cost $1 trillion and will be mostly made of reflective glass.

Currently, the world’s tallest building is Burj Khalifa, standing at 828 metres (2,717 feet) high, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Upon completion, the land-scraper made of two parallel structures, will stretch from the Gulf of Aqaba and divide a mountain range that stretches along the coast. 

A high-speed railway will be operated within the building. Vertical farming will also be used to feed The Line residents with vegetables that are “independently harvested and assembled.” Work on The Line is supposed to be completed in 2030, however some engineers say it could take about half a century to be fully realized.

The Line is one of a series of projects that make up NEOM. It is scheduled to be surrounded by four other projects: Neom Bay, Aqaba Region, Trojena and Oxagon. There is also a planned project called Vault, a resort built at the foot of the mountain.

NEOM is a future city free of carbon emissions, linearly built on a stretch of 170 km, western Saudi Arabia near the Gulf of Aqaba. The city will be owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, and is expected to become a source for foreign direct investments, as well as a hub for new jobs.

This article originally appeared on VICE Arabia.