Saudi Arabia has slowed down the pace of big projects going on under its Vision 2030. According to the latest reports of February 2026, the government has made major changes in the construction of NEOM and ‘The Line’ city. This decision has been taken in view of the huge expenditure and budget problems. Under this change, many old tenders are being canceled and a new plan is being made so that the money can be utilized properly.
What is the latest update on The Line and Mukaab project?
Saudi Arabia’s most talked about project ‘The Line’, which was earlier going to be 170 kilometers long, has now been reduced in size. The new report shows that only 2.4 km of it will be constructed by the year 2030. Along with this, the construction work of the huge ‘Mukaab’ project being built in Riyadh has also been officially stopped.
The government has now focused its entire attention on preparations for Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Now only those projects are being approved which are necessary for these events, such as the sewage project in Mecca and offices at the Expo site. Work on the Trojena resort has also been postponed indefinitely, meaning it will no longer host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.
What do the change of ministers and budget cuts mean?
In view of the delay in projects and increasing expenses, the Saudi King has made a major administrative reshuffle. Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih has been removed and the responsibility has been given in his place to Fahad bin Abduljalil Al-Saif. Their main job is to keep a close eye on the expenditure on projects.
The government has created a new unit which will cut non-essential expenses by 20 to 60 percent. So far, $50 billion has been spent on the NEOM project, but less work is visible on the ground. In view of this, there are now plans to develop NEOM as a global data center and AI hub instead of just a residential city.
project name
old target
New Update (2026)
The Line 170 km (by 2030) 2.4 km (by 2030) Mukaab construction ongoing Work stopped Trojena Resort 2029 Winter Games postponed indefinitely Total budget expenditure $500 billion (estimated) Drastic cuts implemented
