Saudi Arabia unveils vision for ‘ultra-luxury inverted skyscraper’ built INSIDE a 450-metre mountain and accessed via an underground canal as part of trillion-pound plans for futuristic city NEOM

Saudi Arabia has announced plans to build a stunning ‘inverted skyscraper’ as part of its rapid development of NEOM – a fast-growing construction site that aims to transform the kingdom into a next-generation megacity on the Red Sea.

The new site, called ‘Aquellum’ and billed as a ‘luxury and experiential space offering guests a taste of futuristic life’, looks like something out of a science fiction video game and arouses both interest and skepticism upon first viewing.

Digital mockups of the planned development, which will be embedded in a 450-metre-high mountain range along the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba in northwestern Saudi Arabia, show a 100-metre-high megastructure packed with amenities, not to mention breathtaking views.

The proposed hidden location means visitors would have to access the proposed development via an underground canal on a specially designed barge.

Upon arrival, visitors found themselves in a cavernous space built into the mountain, surrounded by a variety of amenities, including decadent hotels and apartments, retail spaces, and “leisure and entertainment zones.”

The upper floors of the structure will be full of lush gardens and viewing platforms from which visitors can enjoy the breathtaking landscapes.

But Aquellum isn’t just designed as a luxury fantasy playground reserved for the wealthiest among us.

It will also play host to ‘The Generator’, a dedicated space made up of several laboratories where scientists come together to design cutting-edge technology.

Aquellum’s proposal follows NEOM’s recent announcements on Leyja, Epicon, Siranna, Utamo and Norlana, all touted as sustainable tourism destinations in the Gulf of Aqaba.

All developments fall under plans by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Kingdom’s best and brightest to diversify the Gulf state’s oil-dependent economy.

These megacities will create tens of thousands of jobs and boost Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, with developers hoping the futuristic, high-tech projects will attract billions in foreign investment.

They are also intended to be sustainable cities that can accommodate the population growth of Riyadh and Jeddah while remaining carbon neutral.

NEOM’s reverse underground development is undoubtedly ambitious – but perhaps an even bolder engineering venture will come in the form of another NEOM megastructure called ‘The Line’.

The massive construction will see two parallel 1,500-foot skyscrapers, stretching 100 miles across northwestern Saudi Arabia, built parallel to each other, essentially creating an elongated city within mirrored walls.

The concept art for the proposed structure is truly otherworldly, showing a massive glass and metal structure stretching across the desert to the shores of the Red Sea.

The Kingdom says The Line, which will cost $1 trillion to build, will be an “unprecedented living experience” that will preserve the “surrounding nature.”

However, conservationists have sounded the alarm over the massive project, saying it will create a deadly barrier for birds that migrate between Europe and Africa every year.

The Line’s mirrored facades, urban orientation and proposed wind turbines all pose a danger to the dozens of migratory animals that navigate the region, while a study led by Professor William Sutherland of the University of Cambridge identifies The Line as one of the 15 most urgent conservation problems. in 2024.

“Birds flying into high windows are a serious problem, and this is a 500 meter high building running through Saudi Arabia, with windmills on top,” Professor William Sutherland, director of research at Cambridge University’s zoology department, told me. The times.

“It also looks a bit like a mirror, so you don’t really see it,” added Sutherland, who led the study. “So unless they do something about it, there is a serious risk of a lot of damage to migratory birds.”

Nightingales, wheatears, larks, sandgrouse and turtle doves are all bird species that use the flyway and could be affected.

Other species known to travel that way include the Egyptian vulture and saker falcon, both of which are threatened with extinction worldwide, The Times reports.

A spokesperson for NEOM told The Times that “studies are underway with international partners to understand animal and bird migration patterns and assess how these can be mitigated,” according to the British newspaper.

They added that measures being considered include how the linear city can build in animal crossings, such as tunnels, so they can pass through.

NEOM was first announced in 2017, when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave a presentation on The Line in July 2022.

It has consistently raised eyebrows at proposed developments such as flying taxis and robot girls, even as architects and economists have questioned their feasibility.

Measuring just 200 meters wide, The Line is intended as Saudi Arabia’s answer to uncontrolled and wasteful urban sprawl, with houses, schools and parks being piled on top of each other in what planners call ‘Zero Gravity Urbanism’.

Promotional materials say residents can reach “all daily needs” within a five-minute walk, while also having access to other benefits such as outdoor skiing facilities and “a high-speed rail line with 20-minute end-to-end transit.”