"The Saudi government wants to build a ‘city of the future’ – is it really prepared to execute those that stand in its way?", 28 Nov 2022

News that a Saudi court has sentenced three members of the Huwaitat tribe to death for opposing eviction to enable the construction of a controversial desert ‘giga-project’ has been met with outrage from human rights groups, who have described the verdict as “extremely shocking”...

According to the Justice for Victims of Neom campaign, promotional videos released by Neom falsely claimed that the project would be built on virgin land. However, “the Huwaitat tribe have been living on various tracts of that land for hundreds of years. The Huwaitat people are not against the building of the city, however they have a right and desire to be included in its construction and to benefit from the use of their ancestral lands. Unfortunately, despite many promises, this has not happened,” says the campaign group.

In 2020, government officials charged with securing land in Tabuk for the project reportedly began offering locals compensation money of between €27,000 and €265,000 for their land, although some reports detail compensation offers of as little as €3,000, which is well-below market value. After people refused to move, security forces unleased a campaign of threats, harassment, abductions, forced displacement and even armed force...