Cyberpunk Urban Fantasies in the Gulf: The Line as an Incubator of Modernization in Saudi Arabia and Beyond

الملخص

The Line is a futuristic city under construction in Saudi Arabia. This study examines its development as an incubator of modernization, seeking to transform the socio-cultural and infrastructural landscape of the country. The study notes how The Line’s aspirations are genealogically rooted in a Western cyberpunk imaginary picturing hypermodern cities inhabited by artificial intelligences (AI). It reveals the influence of cyberpunk fiction in shaping the conceptualization of The Line, representing a deliberate break with Saudi Arabia’s urban and cultural past. The study critically analyses the role that modernization as a double-edged sword plays in advancing novel ideas inspired by Western culture, while undermining a longstanding part of traditional Saudi culture.