Desert Oasis Comparison: Khalid Bin Sultan City vs The Line, Which Outperforms?
Khalid Bin Sultan City, located in Sharjah, and The Line, part of Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project, are two ambitious sustainable urban development projects with distinct focuses and approaches. These cities represent the future of urban living, with a strong emphasis on climate-smart infrastructure, renewable energy, and holistic design.
Sustainable Urban Development Comparison
Khalid Bin Sultan City embraces a holistic, people-first model, emphasizing climate-smart infrastructure, net-zero-ready energy systems, smart technology integration, and circular waste management. It features a citywide digital twin for real-time urban management and prioritizes walkability, natural airflow, and green open spaces, including a large 2-kilometer linear park connecting neighborhoods. Energy comes from renewables like solar and waste-to-energy, with water reuse systems to reduce resource strain. The design incorporates Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards to ensure resilience and sustainability. It is intended as a replicable model blending sustainability with comfortable, culturally enriching living spaces, balancing environmental technology with human-centric design.
The Line, on the other hand, is a visionary linear, car-free city stretched across natural landscapes, aiming for zero emissions. It focuses heavily on environmental preservation (including coral reef protection) and 100% green energy use. The design is unique with no streets or cars, emphasizing nature integration and innovative infrastructure. It is positioned as a model for future urban living in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s focus on economic diversification and sustainability.
Social Sustainability for Workers
While both cities prioritize the wellbeing of residents, the information available suggests a difference in the focus on worker social sustainability. Khalid Bin Sultan City highlights community integration, walkability, wellness, cultural spaces, and access to education and healthcare — indicating attention to the quality of life and wellbeing of all residents within a mixed community.
However, specific references to worker social sustainability, such as fair labor practices or protection from exploitation, are not explicitly detailed in the sources. In contrast, reports from NGOs like Equidem or Business & Human Rights Resource Centre speak of systemic exploitation in the construction industry in the Gulf region, including cases of dehydration, heat strokes, and inadequate medical care.
The Line, while focused on economic transformation, environmental innovation, and overall quality of life for residents, provides less explicit information about worker social sustainability. The project is framed more in terms of broad social and administrative reforms, but specific details about fair labor practices or integration of the workforce in living conditions are not readily available.
Key Distinctions
| Aspect | Khalid Bin Sultan City | The Line (Saudi Arabia) | |--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | Urban Form | Walkable neighborhoods, family/community focus | Car-free, linear city emphasizing nature integration | | Energy & Environment | Net-zero-ready, solar, waste-to-energy, circular waste management | 100% green energy, zero-emission, environmental conservation (e.g., coral reefs) | | Technology | Citywide digital twin, smart apps for residents | Innovative urban infrastructure, climate control | | Social Sustainability Focus| People-first design, cultural, wellness, education, healthcare access | Broader vision of economic/social transformation, less detail on specific worker welfare | | Scale & Vision | Replicable model focusing on comfort and sustainability | Megaproject with geopolitical and economic strategic emphasis |
In summary, Khalid Bin Sultan City centers on sustainable urban living with an emphasis on community well-being, walkability, and smart environmental systems, aiming for social sustainability as part of daily life design. The Line prioritizes an unprecedented environmental and urban scale innovation focusing on zero emissions and nature integration, with social sustainability for workers less detailed or emphasized in available sources. Both are ambitious models of sustainable city development but approach the balance of ecological and social dimensions differently in scope and detail.
Here are three sentences that contain the given words, derived from the given text:
- Khalid Bin Sultan City's design incorporates Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, ensuring resilience and sustainability in its urban development.
- The Line, a linear city with a focus on environmental preservation, aims for 100% green energy use and zero emissions.
- Both Khalid Bin Sultan City and The Line prioritize renewable energy sources; the former uses solar and waste-to-energy, while the latter aims for 100% green energy.
