City design and engineering partners appointed for Saudi Arabia’s The Line

Neil Gerrard Senior Editor, Construction Briefing

12 November 2024

Three companies have won a role delivering the core city planning, design and engineering for the first phase of Saudi Arabia’s linear city, The Line, in the Neom special economic zone.

Delugan Meissi Associate Architects (DMAA), architectural services firm Gensler, and engineering consultant Mott MacDonald will work with The Line’s design, development and project delivery teams.

Early construction on The Line Neom (Image courtesy Neom)

Progress on The Line Neom in Saudi Arabia visibile from an aerial shot. (Image courtesy Neom)

DMAA has been appointed as urban designer, leading the concept and detailed masterplan of Phase One. Its role involves challenging traditional planning conventions to help deliver the vertically organized city.

DMAA will later support NEOM in maintaining the design vision of Phase One, as neighbourhood architects are appointed. It is working with a team of experts across a range of topics such as microclimate and ecology, mobility and logistics, and sustainability.

Gensler will act as city planning consultant for Phase One, providing leadership and governance across the project on areas including planning policies and frameworks, land use and design compliance. Gensler is also appointed as city asset design architect for critical city infrastructure, including transport hubs and the public realm.

Mott MacDonald joins the project as city infrastructure engineer. It will drive management and control of vertical and horizontal structures and city utility systems for Phase One. Neom said the role will focus on the efficiency and sustainability of the design for a functional, constructable and operable city.

Denis Hickey, chief development officer, The Line, said: “As development and construction of The Line progresses, we have established a unique partnership that brings world-leading city design and engineering expertise to deliver Phase One. Collaboration is at the core of this, with a city-wide best practice group that will showcase how innovation can change the way we consider, design and build cities forever. This reflects Neom’s vision and global ambition.”

Neom is currently focused on the initial phases of infrastructure and enabling works for the new city. More than 120 foundation piles are being cast into the ground each week at the Phase One site, which Neom claimed puts it on track to be the largest piling operation ever conceived.