• Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday said the designs of The Line, at Neom - Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion giga-project - will 'embody how urban communities will be in the future'. Photo: Spa
    Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday said the designs of The Line, at Neom - Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion giga-project - will 'embody how urban communities will be in the future'. Photo: Spa
  • Depictions in a planning document show The Line as a massive micro that would be located at the Gulf of Aqaba and part of it extends into the sea.
    Depictions in a planning document show The Line as a massive micro that would be located at the Gulf of Aqaba and part of it extends into the sea.
  • The Line will feature an outer mirror facade that will allow its unique character to blend with nature. Photo: Neom
    The Line will feature an outer mirror facade that will allow its unique character to blend with nature. Photo: Neom
  • The Line embodies urban communities of the future. Photo: Neom
    The Line embodies urban communities of the future. Photo: Neom
  • Trojena will be a year-round tourism destination with a man-made freshwater lake, mountain biking, water sports and more. Photo: Neom
    Trojena will be a year-round tourism destination with a man-made freshwater lake, mountain biking, water sports and more. Photo: Neom
  • A rendering of Oxagon in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Neom
    A rendering of Oxagon in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Neom
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
  • A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa
    A rendering of The Line on Neom. Photo: Spa

Mirror Line: Saudi Arabia's Neom to build the world's longest skyscraper


Mona Farag
  • English
  • Arabic

Saudi Arabia's $500 billion Neom project is set to be home to a record-setting 120km-long skyscraper called the Mirror Line.

According to documents seen by The Wall Street Journal, the world’s largest structure will comprise two buildings up to 490 metres tall, running parallel for 120 kilometres.

The structures will be connected by walkways and a high-speed train will run beneath.

Following on the heels of the WSJ report, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday said The Line, in the kingdom’s $500 billion giga-project Neom, will “embody how urban communities will be in the future”.

Prince Mohammed announced the designs of The Line, which “puts human first, providing an unprecedented urban” living experience while preserving nature.

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

The Mirror Line is designed by the US-based Morphosis Architects and the project involves at least nine other design and engineering consultancies.

They proposed building it in stages by creating 790-metre-long structures of varying heights up to 490 metres that will connect in a line.

The project builds on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's announcement in January of plans to create a linear community that is expected to cost up to a trillion dollars and house about five million people when complete.

Prince Mohammed said the entire 170-kilometre coastal strip in the north-west of Saudi Arabia would be free of cars and streets, with zero carbon emissions.

The Mirror Line is one of a series of projects that make up Neom.

Four other developments, Neom Bay, Aqaba Region, Neom Mountain and Neom Industrial City, are intended to surround it.

There is also the planned project named the Vault which is a resort built into a mountainside.

Unveiled by Prince Mohammed in 2017, Neom is Saudi Arabia's flagship business and tourism development on the Red Sea coast and a central project in the 2030 Vision outlining the kingdom's plans to diversify the economy.

The development will include smart towns and cities, ports and enterprise areas, research centres, sports and entertainment venues and tourist centres.

It will be spread across 26,500 square kilometres and will comprise several zones, including industrial and logistics areas, all planned for completion in 2025.

People are expected to begin arriving in 2024, Neom's head of tourism said. The area is predicted to be home to millions by 2030.

  • Trojena will open in 2026 as part of Saudi Arabia's megacity of the future. Photo: Neom
    Trojena will open in 2026 as part of Saudi Arabia's megacity of the future. Photo: Neom
  • Trojena is designed to attract visitors, holidaymakers and winter sports enthusiasts from around the world. PA
    Trojena is designed to attract visitors, holidaymakers and winter sports enthusiasts from around the world. PA
  • The design plan for Trojena, an area in Saudi Arabia's planned megacity of Neom chosen to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games. AFP
    The design plan for Trojena, an area in Saudi Arabia's planned megacity of Neom chosen to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games. AFP
  • The Line is also being built at Neom. It will be free of cars and streets and have zero carbon emissions. Photo: Neom
    The Line is also being built at Neom. It will be free of cars and streets and have zero carbon emissions. Photo: Neom
  • Neom chief executive Nadhmi Al Nasr said The Line would make use of artificial intelligence technology to the fullest. Photo: Neom
    Neom chief executive Nadhmi Al Nasr said The Line would make use of artificial intelligence technology to the fullest. Photo: Neom
  • Neom city will be powered by clean energy, officials say. Photo: Neom
    Neom city will be powered by clean energy, officials say. Photo: Neom
  • Trojena in Neom will host the first outdoor snow skiing destination in the GCC region. Photo: Neom
    Trojena in Neom will host the first outdoor snow skiing destination in the GCC region. Photo: Neom
  • Neom lies in a desert bordering the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. Reuters
    Neom lies in a desert bordering the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. Reuters
  • Architects say Neom will be designed to make the most of its environmental surroundings. Photo: Neom
    Architects say Neom will be designed to make the most of its environmental surroundings. Photo: Neom
  • Andrew McEvoy, sector head for tourism at Neom, at Arabian Travel Market held at Dubai World Trade Centre. Pawan Singh / The National
    Andrew McEvoy, sector head for tourism at Neom, at Arabian Travel Market held at Dubai World Trade Centre. Pawan Singh / The National
  • The $500bn Neom project in the Tabuk Province of north-western Saudi Arabia is supported by the kingdom's Public Investment Fund. Photo: Saudi Commission for Tourism and Natural Heritage
    The $500bn Neom project in the Tabuk Province of north-western Saudi Arabia is supported by the kingdom's Public Investment Fund. Photo: Saudi Commission for Tourism and Natural Heritage
DAY%20ONE%20RESULT
%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Charlotte%20Kool%20(NED)%20%E2%80%93%20Team%20DSM%3A%202hrs%2C%2047min%2C%2014sec%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lorena%20Wiebes%20(NED)%20%E2%80%93%20Team%20SD%20Worx%3A%20%2B4%20secs%3Cbr%3E3.%20Chiara%20Consonni%20(ITA)%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20Team%20ADQ%3A%20%2B5%20secs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.

 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Inside%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKelsey%20Mann%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Amy%20Poehler%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%2C%20Ayo%20Edebiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:

Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')

Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)

Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

TALE OF THE TAPE

Floyd Mayweather

  • Height 
  • Weight
  • Reach
  • Record

Conor McGregor

  • Height 
  • Weight
  • Reach
  • Record
Book%20Details
%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EThree%20Centuries%20of%20Travel%20Writing%20by%20Muslim%20Women%3C%2Fem%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEditors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiobhan%20Lambert-Hurley%2C%20Daniel%20Majchrowicz%2C%20Sunil%20Sharma%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIndiana%20University%20Press%3B%20532%20pages%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog

Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza

Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine 

France is her favourite country to visit

Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family

Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter

Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country

The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns

Her motto is to never stop working for the country

WHEN TO GO:

September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.

WHERE TO STAY:

Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20TV%204K%20(THIRD%20GENERATION)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECPU%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20A15%20Bionic%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2064GB%2C%20Wi-Fi%20only%3B%20128GB%2C%20Wi-Fi%20%2B%20ethernet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206%2C%20Bluetooth%205.0%2C%20ethernet%20(Wi-Fi%20%2B%20ethernet%20model%20only)%2C%20IR%20receiver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HDMI%2C%20ethernet%20(128GB%20model%20only)%3B%20Siri%20remote%20(charging%20via%20USB-C)%3B%20accessibility%20features%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SDR%2FDolby%20Vision%2FHDR10%2B%20up%20to%202160p%20%40%2060fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPeripherals%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Compatible%20with%20HD%2FUHD%20TVs%20via%20HDMI%2C%20Bluetooth%20keyboards%2C%20AirPods%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPhoto%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GIF%2C%20HEIF%2C%20JPEG%2C%20TIFF%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColour%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Black%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20TV%204K%2C%20Siri%20remote%2C%20power%20cord%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh529%2C%20Wi-Fi%20only%3B%20Dh599%2C%20Wi-Fi%20%2B%20ethernet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WORLD CUP FINAL

England v South Africa

Yokohama International Stadium, Tokyo

Saturday, kick-off 1pm (UAE)

STAGE%201%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3E1)%20Tim%20Merlier%20(Soudal-Quick-Step)%2C%203h%2017%E2%80%99%2035%E2%80%9D%3Cbr%3E2)%20Caleb%20Ewan%20(Lotto%20Dstny)%20same%20time%3Cbr%3E3)%20Mark%20Cavendish%20(Astana%20Qazaqstan%20Team)%20same%20time%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeneral%20Classification%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1)%20Tim%20Merlier%20(Soudal%20Quick-Step)%203%3A17%3A25%3Cbr%3E2%20-%20Caleb%20Ewan%20(Lotto%20Dstny)%20%2B4%22%3Cbr%3E3%20-%20Luke%20Plapp%20(Ineos%20Grenadiers)%20%2B5%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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THE BIO

Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist

Age: 78

Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”

Hobbies: his work  - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”

Other hobbies: football

Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club

 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
SPIDER-MAN%3A%20ACROSS%20THE%20SPIDER-VERSE
%3Cp%3EDirectors%3A%20Joaquim%20Dos%20Santos%2C%20Kemp%20Powers%2C%20Justin%20K.%20Thompson%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Shameik%20Moore%2C%20Hailee%20Steinfeld%2C%20Oscar%20Isaac%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
%3Cp%3EDavid%20White%20might%20be%20new%20to%20the%20country%2C%20but%20he%20has%20clearly%20already%20built%20up%20an%20affinity%20with%20the%20place.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20the%20UAE%20shocked%20Pakistan%20in%20the%20semi-final%20of%20the%20Under%2019%20Asia%20Cup%20last%20month%2C%20White%20was%20hugged%20on%20the%20field%20by%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20the%20team%E2%80%99s%20captain.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWhite%20suggests%20that%20was%20more%20a%20sign%20of%20Aayan%E2%80%99s%20amiability%20than%20anything%20else.%20But%20he%20believes%20the%20young%20all-rounder%2C%20who%20was%20part%20of%20the%20winning%20Gulf%20Giants%20team%20last%20year%2C%20is%20just%20the%20sort%20of%20player%20the%20country%20should%20be%20seeking%20to%20produce%20via%20the%20ILT20.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20is%20a%20delightful%20young%20man%2C%E2%80%9D%20White%20said.%20%E2%80%9CHe%20played%20in%20the%20competition%20last%20year%20at%2017%2C%20and%20look%20at%20his%20development%20from%20there%20till%20now%2C%20and%20where%20he%20is%20representing%20the%20UAE.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20was%20influential%20in%20the%20U19%20team%20which%20beat%20Pakistan.%20He%20is%20the%20perfect%20example%20of%20what%20we%20are%20all%20trying%20to%20achieve%20here.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CIt%20is%20about%20the%20development%20of%20players%20who%20are%20going%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE%20and%20go%20on%20to%20help%20make%20UAE%20a%20force%20in%20world%20cricket.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: August 02, 2022, 11:26 AM