It has been reported that Saudi Arabia has issued an order that those who block Saudi Arabia’s dream project ‘Neom’ smart city will be punished. The Saudi king is reported to have told the authorities that if the people do not cooperate with the government’s plan to build the city of Neom, the land will be mercilessly taken from them.
Also, the BBC news has mentioned that Colonel Rafih Elenji, a former Saudi intelligence officer, has spoken about this. Elenji, who worked as an intelligence officer in the country, left Saudi Arabia last year and took refuge in England.
At the time, he said the Saudi rulers were strict and would do anything to achieve what they wanted. He also informed that a person who protested to leave the specified area in violation of the government order was shot dead.
‘Neom’ Smart City is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. This project requires large amount of land. That is why the Saudi army tried to evacuate three villages in 2020 and succeeded. Although the country’s statistics show that more than 6,000 people were evicted in 2020 for the construction of Neom, UK-based human rights group ALQST said the number could be much higher. Also, the region is home to the Huaitti tribe.
A man named Abdul Rahim Al Huwaidi was shot dead by Saudi forces after he blocked officers from entering his land.
47 villagers who protested against the incident were arrested on charges of terrorism and 5 were sentenced to death. Also, dozens of people were arrested for attending Huaiti’s funeral. Neom, a dream city conceived by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is 100 meters high, 200 meters wide.. 170 km. It is also said to be built together.
Neom’s population will be 4.5 lakh by 2026 and 20 lakh by 2030. Arrangements are being made to accommodate around 90 lakh people. 3D communication and artificial intelligence enabled services are also under construction, they said. Moreover, it is said that glass will be used extensively in the construction of this Neom city and this megacity will be 33 times larger than New York.
Spanning the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea coast, the city covers an area of 26,500 sq km. Neom is a combination of Greek and Arabic words. Greek word ‘neo’, Arabic word ‘future’. As Saudi oil reserves dwindle significantly, the world is gradually turning to green energy.
There is also a risk that Saudi revenues will suffer in the future. It is with this in mind that the Saudi Arabian rulers have developed the ‘Neom’ smart city project to turn it into a tourist destination and global hub. 500 billion dollars has been earmarked for this purpose. This is why Saudi is forcibly acquiring land from people for this project.
