US-based engineering services firm Jacobs and British multinational engineering and design company Atkins are the latest companies to be appointed to provide consultancy services for a linear city that forms part of the Neom development in Saudi Arabia.
The Line is a planned 500-metre-high mirrored megacity comprised of two glass reflective buildings running parallel for 170km across coastal, mountain and desert terrain. The two buildings will be connected via walkways, and a high-speed train will run underneath them. The megastructure is projected to house nine million people who will be able to travel end-to-end in 20 minutes.
As delivery partners, Jacobs and Atkins will both provide project and construction management consultancy services for the design, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of the project, together with the management of the critical interfaces that the linear city shares with adjacent Neom projects and logistics.
WATCH: Saudi Arabia’s NEOM megacity takes shape
Philip Hoare, President, Atkins, said: “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.
“As a Delivery Partner organisation, we 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.”
Steve Demetriou, Jacobs executive chair, added: “This project is intending to re-write the playbook on urban development to address some of the major environmental and quality of life challenges we often see in big cities. We are committed to helping deliver projects that aspire to completely reimagine urban living and rethink what it means to live in a more connected, sustainable world.”
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