Saudi 'ordered to kill' those who resisted eviction for futuristic city

A former intelligence officer says Saudi government asked officers to 'kill those who protested land eviction notices

Saudi Arabia allowed its officers to use lethal force to clear land for a futuristic desert city called NEOM, the BBC reported on Thursday. The British broadcaster spoke to former Saudi intelligence officer, Col Rabih Alenezi, who claimed that he was ordered to evict villagers to make way for ‘The Line’, part of the NEOM eco-project.

‘The Line’ is a 170 km long and 200 m wide “car-free city”. According to the BBC, about 2.4 km of this flagship project is expected to be completed by 2030.

Col Alenezi told the BBC that he was asked to execute the clearance order for ‘al-Khuraybah’, 4.5 km south of The Line. The villages were mostly populated by the Huwaitat tribe.

According to his account, an April 2020 order stated that the Huwaitat was made up of "many rebels" and "whoever continues to resist [eviction] should be killed, so it licensed the use of lethal force against whoever stayed in their home". Col Alenezi went into exile in the United Kingdom last year.

The former officer said that even though he dodged the mission citing health grounds, it went ahead anyway. “Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti refused to allow a land registry committee to value his property, and was shot dead by Saudi authorities a day later,” BBC quoted Col Alenezi as saying.

Business Standard could not independently verify this claim.

What is the NEOM project?

Saudi Arabia brands NEOM as the land of the future, with an “ambition to redefine livability, business and conservation at its heart.” The project’s official website says that it aims to reimagine urbanism, and build a city as an “economic engine” powering as many as 14 sectors.

“These distinct regions and sectors will be fueled by $500 billion from the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and local and international investors,” the website says. The project is a part of the Saudi Vision 2030, as the country seeks to diversify its economic prospects beyond oil.

More than 6,000 people have been moved for the project, according to Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman’s government.

IPL franchise team Rajasthan Royals entered into a partnership with the smart city project NEOM in March, appointing it as the principal partner in a key two-year deal.