UK architecture and engineering company Atkins is working on Neom’s The Line, a zero-carbon city with “vertically layered” buildings in Saudi Arabia.
Atkins, a member of SNC-Lavalin, has been officially announced as a delivery partner for The Line at Neom. The company has signed a five-year contract.
Per a press release, The Line will be a cognitive city with no roads, cars or carbon emissions. It will offer an unprecedented urban living experience.
Once completed, The Line will be 170 kilometres long and just 200 metres wide. It will run on 100 percent clean energy and will eventually accommodate nine million residents.
“The Line is a central component of Neom, which itself is one of the largest projects under Saudi Vision 2030,” said Ian Edwards, the president and CEO of SNC-Lavalin.
“The linear, cognitive city will play a significant role in helping Neom accelerate the kingdom’s economic diversification agenda by redefining urban living experience, boosting tourism, and creating job opportunities for the people of Saudi Arabia.”
Alongside Neom and other delivery partners, Atkins will provide project and construction management consultancy services. These include the design, procurement and commissioning.
SNC-Lavalin’s Philip Hoare added: “The Line is a truly ground-breaking, world-first project and we are proud to have the opportunity to bring our global engineering, digital and net zero expertise to help create a lasting legacy for the kingdom and its people.”
“Vertically layered buildings” in The Line
Atkins will “work closely with Neom and our partners to seamlessly connect people, data and technology to drive innovation, value, efficiency and certainty on the project”, Hoare said.
“Our combined intent is to radically transform the way major infrastructure projects are delivered and The Line, with its vision and complexity, provides a great opportunity to demonstrate what our industry can achieve.”
Neom, a $500 billion ‘land of the future’, will house cognitive cities, ports, research centres, entertainment venues and tourist destinations.
Atkins is also working on other projects in Saudi Arabia, including Diriyah Gate, Six Flags Qiddiya and King Abdulaziz International Airport.
“With over 50 years’ presence in the Middle East, Atkins has played a key role in supporting the region’s transformation by delivering some of its most iconic and complex projects,” said Campbell Gray, the Middle East and Africa CEO for Atkins.
“Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most dynamic growth markets and we are committed to supporting the country’s ambitions through our global engineering expertise, our in-depth local knowledge, and our investment in the kingdom’s future talent.”
From Diriyah to the Red Sea, Saudi is creating many giga-projects and attractions as part the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) Vision 2030.
Images: Neom
