Saudi police have been “told to kill” to clear land for futuristic city Neom.
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Neom project, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, is under scrutiny for alleged human rights violations.
Reports from the BBC shed light on allegations of the Saudi authorities permitting the use of lethal force to clear land for the Neom, a $500 billion smart city project.
The outlet interviewed Colonel Rabih Alenezi, a former intelligence officer, who claimed he was ordered to evict villagers to make way for “The Line,” a key component of Neom.
Shockingly, one person was reported shot and killed during protests against eviction.
“The Line” is touted as a revolutionary car-free city, spanning a staggering 200 meters in width and stretching over 170 kilometers in length.
Despite the grand vision, only 2.4 kilometers of the project are expected to be completed by 2030, according to BBC reports.
Official government figures suggest that over 6,000 individuals have been relocated for the Neom project.
However, human rights group ALQST, based in the UK, estimates the actual number to be higher.
Satellite data shared by the BBC indicates that three villages – al-Khuraybah, Sharma, and Gayal – were demolished to pave the way for Neom.
These villages were home to the Huwaitat tribe, labeled as “rebels” by the government, as per Col. Alenezi.
Also read: How’s Neom’s unique name linked to Prince Mohammed bin Salman?
“Neom is the centrepiece of Mohammed Bin Salman’s ideas. That’s why he was so brutal in dealing with the Huwaitat,” Col. Alenezi stated, expressing concerns for his own safety as he now resides in the UK.
The futuristic megacity, envisaged to be 33 times the size of New York, covering an area of 26,500 square kilometers along the Aqaba Gulf and the Red Sea coastline, has been met with both awe and criticism.
In a revelation by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in 2022, it was reported that MBS had ordered the construction of ten palaces, each larger than a football field, within the Neom project.
The plan indicated that these extravagant residences could fetch prices of up to $400 million each.
As Saudi police have been “told to kill” to clear land for futuristic city Neom, the allegations have drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organizations, calling for transparency, accountability, and respect for the rights of affected communities in large-scale development projects like Neom.
