Neom, the ambitious sustainable city project in northwest Saudi Arabia, announced a series of key developments including a leadership change and appointment of global partners to collaborate on urban design, planning consultancy, and infrastructure design for the first phase of The Line.

The Neom Board of Directors has appointed Eng Aiman Al-Mudaifer as Acting CEO, following the departure of Nadhmi Al-Nasr. Al-Mudaifer has extensive experience in real estate and infrastructure with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF). As Neom enters a new phase of delivery, this new leadership will ensure operational continuity, agility and efficiency to match the overall vision and objectives of the project, the company said.

To accelerate the realisation of The Line, a groundbreaking linear city within Neom, the project has partnered with world-renowned firms: Delugan Meissl Associate Architects (DMAA), Gensler, and Mott MacDonald to deliver the core city planning, design and engineering services for the first phase of The Line.

Neom, with the support of this group, has established a sophisticated design ecosystem with advanced and rigorous methodologies to deliver on The Line’s urban objectives. This will then be followed by the planning and design of the neighborhoods within Phase One, which will be undertaken by a suite of architects starting early 2025.

DMAA has been appointed as urban designer, leading the concept and detailed masterplan of Phase One.  It will later support Neom in maintaining the design vision of Phase One, as neighbourhood architects are appointed. DMAA is working with a team of experts across a range of topics such as microclimate and ecology, mobility and logistics, and sustainability.

Gensler has been named as city planning consultant for Phase One. It will lead on city design coordination and city planning, providing leadership and governance across the project on crucial areas, including planning policies and frameworks, land use and design compliance.

Gensler has also been 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. This role will focus on the efficiency and sustainability of the design for a functional, constructable and operable city, it stated.    

Neom is currently focused on the initial phases of infrastructure and enabling works for The Line. With more than 120 foundation piles being cast into the ground each week at the Phase One site, The Line is on track to be the largest piling operation ever conceived, Neom added.