The Shift from an Ambitious City to a Cutting-Edge Data Hub
The groundbreaking project known as 'The Line,' which has already seen an investment of $50 billion, has come to a surprising halt. This decision stems from a financial review that revealed the staggering cost of completing the city would soar to an astronomical $8.8 trillion. This figure has prompted a radical shift in the strategic direction of the initiative, leading to a reimagining of its original vision.
Instead of pursuing the construction of a linear city stretching 170 kilometers, NEOM has announced a historic transformation. A significant portion of the project site will now be developed into a global data center hub, powered by artificial intelligence, in a noteworthy partnership with DataVault valued at $5 billion. This ambitious data campus, set to rise in the Oxgang region overlooking the Red Sea, will be the first 'AI factory' to utilize seawater for cooling, specifically designed to withstand desert climate challenges. It will operate entirely on renewable energy, ensuring emissions-free processes.
This strategic pivot aims to establish a high-performance computing hub, with the first phase of operations expected to commence by 2028. This decision reflects a major shift in priorities for one of the world's largest projects, aligning it with the knowledge economy and digitization as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative.
As reported by yemen-press.net.
