May 9th 2024.
The design for The Line, a set of parallel structures reaching 500 meters tall, has been the subject of controversy in the development of Neom, a megacity in the heart of the Red Sea. There have been allegations that the Saudi Arabian government has given orders to use lethal force in order to clear land for the £400 billion project.
According to Rabih Alenezi, a former senior official in the kingdom's security service, he was instructed to remove members of a tribe from the area to make room for The Line, which is part of the larger eco-project. Unfortunately, one of the villagers was killed for protesting against the ongoing evictions, as reported by the BBC.
Neom was launched in 2017 by crown prince Bin Salman and is located at the northern tip of the Red Sea, east of Egypt and south of Jordan. The megacity covers a total planned area of 26,500 km² in the Tabuk Province, which is traditionally inhabited by the Howeitat tribe. However, in order to make room for the project, displacement of the tribespeople has been ongoing for the past three years.
Col Alenezi, who has sought asylum in the UK, claims to have been ordered to carry out human rights violations and was told to use lethal force against those who resisted eviction. Satellite images have shown that homes, schools, and hospitals in the villages of Sharma, Gayal, and al-Khuraybah have been demolished as part of this mission.
The megacity will feature two massive, mirror-encased skyscrapers that extend over 170 kilometers of desert and mountain terrain. However, human rights group Alqst released a report in 2023 titled "The Dark Side of Neom" which stated that 47 members of the Howeitat tribe have been arrested or detained. Of those, 40 are still in detention and five are facing the death penalty.
Authorities claim that those who have been required to move for the megacity have been offered compensation. However, according to Alqst, the amount paid out has been significantly lower than what was promised. Col Alenezi believes that Neom is the "centrepiece" of Bin Salman's ideas, which is why the government has been so brutal in their treatment of the Howeitat tribe.
Col Alenezi is one of the highest-ranking defectors from Saudi Arabia and continues to receive death threats for speaking out against the regime. One of the victims, Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti, refused to allow a valuation of his property and was tragically killed by Saudi authorities during the clearance mission.
The Line's masterplan promises to "redefine livability" and the United Nations has confirmed that al-Huwaiti was killed for simply resisting the eviction. However, the Saudi state security released a statement claiming that he had opened fire on security forces.
Aerial images released by the kingdom give a glimpse of what the futuristic city will look like once completed. The Line will feature mirrored skyscrapers, an artificial mountain and ski resort, an octagonal floating port, and a dedicated swimming lane for commuters. In addition, there will be a sophisticated network of AI and robots to serve the wealthy residents. More than 100,000,000 cubic meters of sand have already been moved as part of the excavation for the 75-mile canyon.
The Agency has reached out to Neom for comment on the allegations.
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