TOP OF THE AGENDA |
Claims of forced clearance for eco-city |
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The Line is at the heart of Saudi Arabia's mega-project, Neom. Credit: Shutterstock |
The Line - a planned car-free city, 170km (106 miles) long but just 200m (656ft) wide - is the flagship development in Saudi Arabia's Neom eco-project. Part of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the kingdom's economy away from oil, it is being built by dozens of Western companies. Satellite images show villages wiped off the map. And a former Saudi intelligence officer has told a BBC Verify and BBC Eye investigation the country's authorities permitted the use of lethal force to clear the land. Col Rabih Alenezi says he was ordered to evict villagers from the local Huwaitat tribe. One was subsequently shot dead for protesting. Authorities later said he had opened fire. Neom “is the centrepiece of [Saudi Crown Prince] Mohamed Bin Salman's ideas. That's why he was so brutal in dealing with the Huwaitat,” said Col Alenezi, who went into exile in the UK last year. The BBC has not been able to independently his comments. The Saudi government and Neom management refused to comment. Here’s our report. |
Another slant on some other ME developments
- Thread starter davey
- Start date
VaughanJB
Scrappy VIP
Saudi have lots and lots of money. Therefore, no-one cares.
The biggest boxing fight in decades is this weekend - in Saudi. Why there? Money. They're slowly buying up sports rights on a huge PR campaign because - well, let's say they're regressive countries and need to bury some dirt. IMO
The biggest boxing fight in decades is this weekend - in Saudi. Why there? Money. They're slowly buying up sports rights on a huge PR campaign because - well, let's say they're regressive countries and need to bury some dirt. IMO