How NEOM’s The Line aims to achieve harmony between urban development and preservation of nature in Saudi Arabia

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Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced plans for The Line development at NEOM on July 25. (Supplied)
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The Line will stretch 170 km across northwestern Saudi Arabia. Once completed, the world’s largest structure will accommodate 9 million residents using a cutting-edge vertical design. (Supplied)
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The idea of layering city functions vertically is a concept referred to as “Zero Gravity Urbanism.” (Supplied)
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The Line designs embody how urban communities might look in the future in an environment free of roads, cars and emissions. (Supplied)
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The idea of layering city functions vertically is a concept referred to as “Zero Gravity Urbanism.” (Supplied)
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Updated 26 July 2022
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How NEOM’s The Line aims to achieve harmony between urban development and preservation of nature in Saudi Arabia

  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says the development will shine a light on alternative ways to live
  • Narrow design intended to reduce man-made footprint on landscape, promote greater efficiency

RIYADH: With some 56 percent of the world’s population now living in cities, urban sustainability and public well-being have become a growing concern for governments worldwide.

To address these challenges, Saudi Arabia is boldly experimenting with how urban spaces are designed with its revolutionary NEOM smart city and its flagship development — The Line.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced plans for The Line — one of several mega-projects now underway as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform and economic diversification plan.

He said that the design would clarify the internal structure of the multi-layered city and address the problems of traditional flat horizontal cities, achieving harmony between urban development and the preservation of nature, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the initial idea and vision of the city that redefines the concept of urban development, and what cities of the future should look like, in January 2021.

During Monday’s announcement, the crown prince said that The Line would achieve “ideal living” and address the urgent challenges facing humanity.




The Line designs embody how urban communities might look in the future in an environment free of roads, cars and emissions. (Supplied) 

“NEOM is one of the most important projects of the Saudi Vision 2030 and The Line is an affirmation of our firm commitment to presenting a project to the whole world. NEOM is a place for those who dream of a better tomorrow,” he said.

The designs of The Line embody how urban communities will live in the future in an environment free from roads, cars and emissions, he added.

The crown prince said that the project, which offers a new approach to urban design, would run on 100 percent renewable energy and prioritize people’s health.




Different from tall buildings, the concept layers public parks and pedestrian areas, schools, homes and places for work. (Supplied)

“The idea of layering city functions vertically and giving people the possibility of moving seamlessly in three dimensions to access them is a concept referred to as Zero Gravity Urbanism,” he said.

According to the design plan revealed on Monday, The Line will have an outer mirror facade that will provide the structure its unique character and allow even its small footprint to blend with nature, while its interior will be built to create “extraordinary experiences and magical moments,” the crown prince added.

The Line will eventually accommodate 9 million residents and will be built on a footprint of 34 square kilometers, which is unheard of when compared to other cities of similar capacity, according to Monday’s statement.




The designs of The Line embody how urban communities will live in the future in an environment free from roads, cars and emissions. (Supplied)

Different from tall buildings, the concept layers public parks and pedestrian areas, schools, homes and places for work.

The narrow design is intended to reduce the man-made footprint on the landscape and promote greater efficiency. The city will feature a high-speed rail link with an end-to-end transit time of just 20 minutes.

The ideal climate within the structure, all year round, will ensure that residents can enjoy the surrounding nature while walking around. Residents will also have access to all facilities in The Line within a five-minute walk.

“The Line will be created by a team of world-renowned architects and engineers, led by NEOM, to develop this revolutionary concept for the city of the future,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.

Furthermore, the city’s design will be completely digitized, and the construction industrialized to a large degree by significantly advancing construction technologies and manufacturing processes.




The ideal climate within the structure, all year round, will ensure that residents can enjoy the surrounding nature while walking around. (Supplied)

The design has already enjoyed good reception for its boldness and ambition. According to Mohamed Ramady, a London-based economist, the vision for The Line is nothing short of revolutionary, despite some skepticism from traditional urban developers.

“The concept of Zero Gravity Urbanism will be something that future generations will come to accept as a viable mode of urban, renewable energy-based community living comparable to epoch-making urban developments in history that were also not easily accepted,” Ramady told Arab News.

“The crown prince’s bold proposals aptly underscores what NEOM is all about, that all of humanity, not only Saudi Arabia, will benefit from.”

For Mohammed Al-Suwayed, CEO of Razeen Capital, the appeal of NEOM is in its youthfulness and willingness to break with old ways of building as well as living.

“I’m still not sure the world is getting the crown prince’s message from NEOM,” Al-Suwayed told Arab News.

“It is an idea that is meant to challenge the norms. I believe NEOM is not for the ones with traditional skills and experience. It is for young people with limited traditional experience but who are ambitious and visionary, and pragmatic at the same time.”

Situated in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea, spanning an area of around 26,500 square kilometers, and made up of 41 coastal islands, NEOM — which means “new future” — is billed as a living laboratory for entrepreneurship, new technologies, new models for livability, and environmental conservation.

With backing from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, as well as local and international investors, planners say the $500 billion NEOM project will include hyperconnected, cognitive towns and cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centers, sports and entertainment venues and tourist destinations.

Its location means it is ideally situated to attract global investment by taking advantage of existing commercial routes. Around 13 percent of the world’s trade passes through the Red Sea, and some 40 percent of the world is less than six hours away by air.

The unique geographical location of NEOM ensures a temperate climate, roughly 10 degrees Celsius cooler on average than the rest of the GCC, cradled in a mountainous region that is home to some of the Kingdom’s most diverse terrain.

With sustainability at the core of the project, some 95 percent of NEOM’s land is conserved for environmental protection. All energy in NEOM will be 100 percent renewable — from solar, wind and hydrogen-based power generation — ensuring clean and pollution-free urban environments.

Communities will be built around people, not cars, with raised walkways connecting the site. Roads and streets will be replaced by piazzas and walkable boulevards filled with parks and green spaces. Communities empowered by artificial intelligence will learn and predict ways to make life easier to save time for residents and businesses.

The Line itself will connect four distinctive ecologies: coast, desert, mountains, and upper valley. Nature will be integrated into the heart of the communities, enhancing livability and well-being. It will also be supported by agricultural areas, supporting locally grown and sustainable food production.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the initial idea and vision with a view to redefine the concept of urban development and what cities of the future should look like.




The ideal climate within the structure, all year round, will ensure that residents can enjoy the surrounding nature while walking around. (Supplied)

“At The Line’s launch last year, we committed to a civilizational revolution that puts humans first based on a radical change in urban planning,” he said on Monday.

“The designs revealed today for the city’s vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation, and enhanced human livability.

“The Line will tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live.”




The ideal climate within the structure, all year round, will ensure that residents can enjoy the surrounding nature while walking around. (Supplied)

The crown prince added: “We cannot ignore the livability and environmental crises facing our world’s cities, and NEOM is at the forefront of delivering new and imaginative solutions to address these issues. NEOM is leading a team of the brightest minds in architecture, engineering and construction to make the idea of building upward a reality.”

The announcement of The Line’s designs is a continuation of NEOM’s progress in the development of its flagship projects, such as Oxagon, its reimagined manufacturing and innovation city, and Trojena, its mountain tourism destination that will offer the Arabian Gulf’s first outdoor skiing resort.

Covering an area of roughly 48 square kilometers, Oxagon will feature the world’s largest floating platform and will be powered using 100 percent clean energy. 

 

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Saudi Orchestra performance in Tokyo helps ‘bridge cultural boundaries,’ CEO says

Updated 23 November 2024
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Saudi Orchestra performance in Tokyo helps ‘bridge cultural boundaries,’ CEO says

TOKYO: Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Saudi Music Commission, who is in Tokyo with the Saudi National Orchestra, says music “bridges cultural boundaries and has a very important part to play in each of the three main pillars of Vision 2030” as it represents a proud nation, a vibrant society and diversified economy.

Bringing the Saudi National Orchestra to Tokyo, he said, gives people the opportunity “to communicate with our language and it allows everybody to come together and share an experience that allows us to appreciate each other’s cultures and really to be in harmony. And that’s why I think it’s so special that the orchestra is here for the first time.”

The program includes traditional music directed by Saudi Director Reab Ahmed, as well as the Japanese Imperial Court Orchestra “Gagaku.”

“We’re able to show Saudi culture on one of the most prestigious stages in one of the world’s great cultural capitals here at Tokyo Opera City, and we’re doing that with authentic Saudi music, authentic traditional Japanese music with Gagaku,” he said. “But also with that great fusion between the two sets of musicians coming together and doing something really unique and beautiful.”

“The Saudi National Orchestra and choir is really at the vanguard of developing the music landscape in Saudi Arabia as it builds the depth and richness and uniqueness of its beautiful culture, both traditional and modern.”

Pacifico said it was “an honor” to share the stage with the Imperial Orchestra Gagaku performers. “It also shows how our cultures are different and yet similar, the regard for tradition and modernity, the appreciation of music, the sense of formality in public, but warmth and a sense of fun as well in private.”

He hopes that Friday’s performance is not a one-off but becomes the foundation of a rich and long-standing collaboration with “our Japanese friends, the Tokyo College of Music, who we’re collaborating with on this concert.”

“We hope that Saudi artists will start to have opportunities to play on stages here in Tokyo, like the Blue Note and Billboard Live and the Cotton Club, or festivals like Summer Sonic or Fuji Rock. And equally, we’d love to see Japanese artists playing more in Riyadh and all over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has a very exciting story to tell.”

This article originally appeared on Arab News Japan


Saudi aid agency KSrelief provides medical and food assistance in Yemen 

Updated 23 November 2024
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Saudi aid agency KSrelief provides medical and food assistance in Yemen 

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has helped a Yemeni prosthetics center provide medical services to 536 people in October.
The Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Center in Taiz Governorate provided various medical services Yemeni beneficiaries who have lost limbs, the Saudi Press Agency said.
During the project, 1,757 services were provided including measuring, manufacturing, fitting, delivering and maintaining artificial limbs and prosthetics, in addition to rehabilitation and physiotherapy services.
KSRelief also signed a deal with a Yemeni civil-society organization to provide shelter for the neediest families affected by floods and torrents in Hadhramaut.


KSrelief continues humanitarian outreach in Jordan, Afghanistan and Lebanon

Updated 23 November 2024
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KSrelief continues humanitarian outreach in Jordan, Afghanistan and Lebanon

  • KSrelief provided medical services and distribution of basic needs to individuals

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) continues its humanitarian activities in Jordan, Afghanistan and Lebanon with the provision of medical services and distribution of basic needs to individuals.

At Jordan’s Zaatri Camp, the Saudi aid agency provided medical services to 2,738 patients during the second week of November. General practitioners treated 657 patients, internists saw 125 patients dealing with diabetes, hypertension and asthma.

The pediatric clinic examined 270 children, while the emergency department attended to 297 patients. Meanwhile, dentists attended to 183 patients

The gynecology clinic served 182 women while ear, nose, and throat doctors clinic treated 57 patients for conditions such as sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and otitis media.

The ophthalmology clinic assisted 51 patients and provided them with medications. The cardiology clinic received 27 patients, and the diagnostic radiology clinic conducted examinations for 25 patients.

Other medical services provided also included laboratory tests, x-rays and vaccinations.

In Afghanistan, 200 shelter kits and 200 tents have been handed out for the benefit of 1,200 individuals as part of a project for returnees from Pakistan to Afghanistan and those affected by flooding.

In Lebanon, KSrelief distributed 530 purchase coupons to orphans and people with disabilities in Akkar region, Beirut, central and western Bekaa and Armoun.

The coupons allow recipients to buy winter clothing of their choice from approved stores.


Saudi GEA chief named most influential personality of last decade at MENA Effie Awards

Updated 22 November 2024
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Saudi GEA chief named most influential personality of last decade at MENA Effie Awards

  • Turki Alalshikh’s contribution to Kingdom’s entertainment sector honored

RIYADH: The head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority was named the most influential personality of the last decade at the MENA Effie Awards ceremony in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The event, which was held on Thursday as part of this year’s Riyadh Season calendar, honored Turki Alalshikh’s contribution to the Kingdom’s entertainment sector and its emergence as a global hub for world-class events, the SPA added.

Alalshikh thanked Saudi Arabia’s leadership for their support in his acceptance speech, attributing the achievement to the “collaborative efforts of the nation’s people.”

He added that the recognition was a nod to the Kingdom’s growing global stature in the entertainment sector.

The 15th year of the MENA Effie Awards, which were hosted in Saudi Arabia for the first time, celebrated innovation and excellence in the marketing and advertising sectors across the Middle East and North Africa.

This latest accolade followed Alalshikh’s recent distinction as one of the 50 most influential figures in the world of boxing and mixed martial arts, awarded by the British online newspaper The Independent earlier this year.

Under Alalshikh’s leadership, the GEA has transformed the Kingdom’s entertainment sector, with Riyadh Season becoming a flagship event attracting millions of visitors each year.


Gaming community in Saudi Arabia catches them all with Pokemon Go

‘Saudi Arabia is experiencing incredible growth in gaming with more than 67 percent of the population being passionate gamers.’
Updated 22 November 2024
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Gaming community in Saudi Arabia catches them all with Pokemon Go

  • Maan Al-Qurashi, one of the community leaders at Pokemon Go Saudi, told Arab News that the game holds a special place in his heart because he has played different versions for more than 20 years

RIYADH: The official launch of Pokemon Go in Saudi Arabia has brought together a community of gamers who have embraced their inner child while competing and connecting in a world of nostalgic adventure.

Pokemon Go is an augmented reality game that creates an immersive experience of a world where human beings co-exist with colorful creatures with otherworldly superpowers, known as Pokemon.

The game, launched internationally in 2016, uses GPS to track movement and invites players to travel to real-world locations to catch Pokemon and battle with others.

Fans from more than 20 countries around the globe registered at the event. (Supplied)

A local gaming group, “Pokemon Go Saudi,” has created a lively community with members from Riyadh and the Eastern Province who have a shared love of the game.

Maan Al-Qurashi, one of the community leaders at Pokemon Go Saudi, told Arab News that the game holds a special place in his heart because he has played different versions for more than 20 years.

“Pokemon accompanied me in all stages of my life, from childhood to teenager, and still is a part of my daily life after marriage. Hopefully, I will pass down the same passion to my kids.”

HIGHLIGHT

Pokemon Go is an augmented reality game that creates an immersive experience of a world where human beings co-exist with colorful creatures with otherworldly superpowers, known as Pokemon.

Al-Qurashi said Pokemon Go Saudi began with 10 members in 2017, after the international launch of the game.

Today, the community comprises a diverse group of 500 members from all age groups who have made lasting friendships with their Pokemon partners. As a team, they go on adventures, train to improve their skills, and battle in friendly competitions.

‘Saudi Arabia is experiencing incredible growth in gaming with more than 67 percent of the population being passionate gamers.’ (Supplied)

Al-Qurashi said that it is more than a game. It is a community that fosters growth and friendship.

“Multiple in-person activities and relationships have been linked to Pokemon Go. For example, the daily routine is not only going to work and staying with family, it includes playing Pokemon Go even if it’s for a few minutes during the day or an hour or so.”

Last week, more than 5,000 Pokemon Go fans gathered at Boulevard City to celebrate the official launch of the Saudi application. Omar Tellez, vice president at Niantic, said that the event was the largest Pokemon Go event of its kind in the region to date.

Maan AlQurashi, one of the community leaders at Pokemon Go Saudi. (Supplied)

“Seeing the joy of the thousands of attendees, of all ages, has been such a delight. The success of today’s event is a testament to the popularity of Pokemon Go here in the Kingdom. The community has really responded.”

Fans from more than 20 countries around the globe registered at the event.

“It’s been incredible to see them unite to catch some of their favorite Pokemon and enjoy their time together in person. That’s what our game is all about.

Fans from more than 20 countries around the globe registered at the event. (Supplied)

“We have loved seeing their passion and excitement firsthand – whether through cheering on their teams during the PvP battles, or celebrating that iconic button-press moment — or join forces to catch Mewtwo as the legendary Pokemon took over the Boulevard Screens. The atmosphere was truly something special,” Tellez said.

Saudi Arabia is experiencing incredible growth in gaming with more than 67 percent of the population — more than 23.5 million people — being passionate gamers, Tellez said.

“We are excited to welcome many of them into our global trainers community, and we know this event is just the start of our adventure together as we create new experiences and ways for them to connect here in KSA.”

Today, more than 100 million people play Pokemon Go every year in more than 150 countries and regions, making for more than a billion downloads. Trainers have walked more than 8 billion kilometers collectively while playing the game.