Saudi Arabia has planned to build a megacity spanning desert and mountains, featuring two parallel skyscrapers that will stretch for 75 miles. The project, named Mirror Line, is expected to cost up to $1 trillion, equivalent to the entire GDP of Indonesia.

It is one of the gigantic projects that will become part of Neom — the futuristic megacity envisioned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited confidential planning documents. Neom, which is the size of Massachusetts and located on the Red Sea — has been in the works for years.

Also Read | Joe Biden holds Saudi Crown Prince responsible for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder

The Saudis are planning Mirror Line as a community of 5 million people. The skyscrapers are set to have mirrored sides. It will cut through mountains and desert. For transportation, there will be a high speed underground train. A yacht marina and a grand stadium 1,000 feet above the ground will also be part of the project.

Urban planners have been given a 2030 deadline to finish the project, WSJ reported. The Mirror Line is designed by the US-based Morphosis Architects, founded by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Thom Mayne, and involves at least nine other design and engineering consultants, including Montreal-based WSP Global and New York’s Thornton Tomasetti, among others.

According to WSJ, the inflow of investments into Saudi Arabia have reduced from $16 billion a decade ago to $5.4 billion last year. The country was boycotted by many western nations for its questionable human rights record, particularly after journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in 2018.

Things are looking bright in terms of raising significant foreign interest and cash as the isolation by the West ended after last week’s high-profile summit between Prince Mohammed and US President Biden. 

Also Read | Ahead of Joe Biden’s visits, a look at those targeted in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is also getting massive revenue from high oil prices, which has allowed Prince Mohammed to press ahead on such ambitious projects. The Mirror Line could turn the country into one of the world’s top destinations. However, the plans could still change.