ShortHand: ‘The Line’ - Saudi Arabia’s Futuristic Megacity
RedHanded
Tuesday, 6 January 2026 - 33 minutes
Imagine a building as tall as the Empire State Building, that stretches for more than 100km through the Saudi Arabian desert. Inside are nine million people – with robot maids and a giant fake moon – living in self-sufficient pods where everything they need is a five-minute walk away.
It’s part of NEOM, a futuristic megacity complex, which the Saudi government has already started building. And if you believe the PR, it’ll be a car-free, carbon-free, utopian existence – the most equitable and sustainable society in human history. But will it happen? And what is the financial (and human) cost? For our first ShortHand back in 2026, we’re looking at the most ambitious and controversial building project ever: The Line.
--
Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes
YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes
Sources and more available on redhandedpodcast.com
Subscribe to this podcast
Listen Live
-
Rainbow Radio Wales
Rainbow Radio Wales is a radio station based in Aberystwyth, Broadcasting across the UK. We play a wide range of music 365 days a year!
Rainbow Radio Through The Night playing Hotter Than Hell by Dua Lipa