A former Saudi Arabian intelligence officer has come forward alleging that the government is resorting to lethal force against citizens who refuse eviction for the construction of its futuristic eco-city, Neom.
Colonel Rabih Alenezi, speaking to the BBC, asserted that the Saudi government approved the use of lethal force against residents who resisted leaving their land, which had been designated for the Neom development project.
"Whoever continues to resist [eviction] should be killed, so it licensed the use of lethal force against whoever stayed in their home," said Alenezi, who sought protection in the UK last year.
The land designated for the Neom project primarily belongs to the Huwaitat tribe, who have faced mass arrests for their refusal to vacate the area. Alenezi revealed that the government labeled the Huwaitat as "rebels" and sanctioned the use of lethal force against those who stayed in their home.
One man, Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti, reportedly resisted the land registry committee's valuation of his property and was fatally shot by Saudi authorities the following day. While the Saudi government claimed he had opened fire on security forces, human rights organizations and the UN refuted these allegations, asserting that he was killed simply for refusing to be evicted.
The Neom project is a centerpiece of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman's agenda, who is ambitious in seeing its completion. The project will include “The Line,” a car-free city spanning 656 feet wide and 106 miles long.
"[Neom] is the centerpiece of Mohamed Bin Salman's ideas," Alenezi explained "That's why he was so brutal in dealing with the Huwaitat."
