Go ahead for The Line's £152 million concrete factory

Saudi Arabian construction company, Asas Al-Mohileb, has secured a £152 million (SAR 700 million) contract to build and operate a ready-mix concrete factory for The Line, an ambitious megaproject in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM region.

The facility, which will be located within the NEOM development in northwest Saudi Arabia, will produce up to 20,000 cubic metres of concrete per day. Its output will primarily support construction of The Line, a 200m-wide linear city that could eventually stretch 170km across the desert, accommodating up to 9 million people.

The factory, consisting of multiple batching plants, will integrate carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technology and energy-saving systems to minimise its environmental impact. Concrete will be essential to The Line’s substructure and superstructure, making the factory a key component of the project.

Asas Al-Mohileb is currently building the batching plants and will also oversee operations at the facility, which is expected to reach full capacity in 2025. In preparation for the start of operations next month, a fleet of support vehicles has already been mobilised.

The construction work on The Line is progressing, with nearly 1,000 of the planned 30,000 foundation piles already placed. However, it remains unclear how much distance has been covered so far.

Speaking on the new facility, NEOM CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr highlighted the importance of the project for local industry: "The delivery of these concrete plants is a testament to the rapid progress at NEOM. It also shows the strength of the Kingdom’s construction industry and the vital role of local partnerships in delivering this project efficiently and sustainably."

The Line, part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, is one of several megaprojects designed to diversify the country's economy. However, the project has faced some scaling back, with reports suggesting it may only reach 2.4km by 2030, capable of housing 300,000 people initially.

Asas Al-Mohileb’s CEO, Sulaiman Al-Mohileb, emphasised the company’s commitment to sustainability: "This partnership highlights our dedication to advancing economic growth in the Kingdom by adopting the latest technologies and sustainable construction solutions."

Once the factory is fully operational, it is expected to create over 500 local jobs, contributing further to NEOM's role as a hub for industry and innovation.