Why the futuristic city under construction in Saudi Arabia worries human rights organizations

There are 500 billion dollars that the government of Saudi Arabia was considered for the construction of the urban megaproject called Neom .

This is an initiative that is part of its “Saudi Vision 2030” program, which seeks to develop its economy and make it less dependent on oil .

As part of this plan, It is considered a futuristic city called Line which they promise will be ecological because it is entirely powered by renewable energy. .

As indicated by his name, This will have a linear format and will not have roads or cars that can generate emissions. .

Although this ambitious megaproject has attracted international attention due to its technological and structural implications, it has also Multiple accusations have been made against the Saudi government and the dozens of international companies working on its construction. .

One of them was recently carried out by Colonel Rabih Alenezi, former local intelligence officer .

In conversation with the BBC , He claimed to have received orders to evict villagers from the Huwaitat tribe, who lived in an area of ​​the desert that The Line will cross. .

As detailed, In 2020, they told him they were a group of “many rebels” and that “whoever continues to resist must die.” .

According to his story, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman ‘authorized the use of lethal force against anyone staying in his house’ .

That same year, A man named Abdul Rahim al Huwaiti, who had shared protest videos on social media, was shot dead during the expulsion. .

From the Saudi intelligence service They explained at that time that he had attacked the security forces with armed force and so they had to open fire. against him.

However, The United Nations (UN) and various human rights groups have assured that the loss was due to the fact that he refused to leave the area. in which he lived.

Although I received the order, Alenezi told the aforementioned media that he did not participate in the operation because he invented that he had health problems that prevented him from doing so. .

After working for Saudi intelligence, He went into exile in the United Kingdom, where he has lived since 2023. .

During preparations for the construction of The Line, which is 170 kilometers long, 200 meters wide and 500 meters high, More than 6,000 people have been displaced, government data shows .

However, on the part of the British-based Human Rights organization, ALQST, They assume the figure is higher .

On the other hand, data from the UN and the aforementioned group affirm that During the expulsions, there were at least 47 detainees .

Of this number, 40 people remain in prison and five are expected to serve the death penalty ALQST told the BBC.

And even if the Saudi government claims that compensation was offered to those who had to move, the latter accuse that the sums paid are considerably lower than those promised. according to ALQST representatives.

For its part, two senior executives who worked on projects for Neom criticized the efforts .

One of them, Andy Wirth, said they never clarified his doubts on this subject and claimed: “It just felt like something terrible had been forced on these people (…) We cannot step on their neck to move forward.”

The second, Malcolm Aw, suggested that the megaproject “That might be a good thing for some high-tech people who live in this area, but what about the rest? .

Faced with accusations, The Saudi government and Neom management declined to comment. to the aforementioned support. Meanwhile, the project continues.