A report published by the New York Times for Robert Worth spoke about the reality of Saudi Arabia hiding behind idealistic dreams promoted by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.
The report said that the whole world sees a medieval image of Saudi Arabia in which women are still struggling against the state in order to obtain their most basic rights as a human being, and executions take place in public, but like the UAE, the Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman announced his willingness to establish five new cities in the desert. He wants to transfer the country from an oil economy to a diversified economy and to erase the ugly history image in Arab media.
The unrealistic dreams of bin Salman are very costly for the country’s economy and he aims to let only one million people to live in it, as he targets the richest people in the world. And the question is: why would these people leave their lives and dreams to move to a medieval kingdom.
And Robert added, I watched the promo of The Line, and I watched another one for Neom, where I only saw distinctive arrogance, combining royal pomp and using the religious sense. In addition to this, the introduction showed the founder of the Kingdom Abdulaziz bin Saud as if he was a modern inventor, on Like Steve Jeff, not like a fighter on a camel.
After reviewing the most important achievements of the world, suddenly the screen dimmed, and the promotional video asked: What is next? And Mohammed bin Salman appears, with the NEOM logo behind him, and a green line referring to The Line, to show us his invention, a city of zero streets, zero cars, zero carbon emissions.
By screening this promotional video, does the crown prince think that he is promoting strange ideas to people in the whole world? Does he realize that by what he announces? He makes us feel that he is in control of nature in their kingdom. That this nature is subject to his control and his order, as he said before he planted the clouds and make it rain to turn the desert into green lands there. In addition to the fictitious projects of desalination, alternative energy, and desert cultivation, as well as fast trains and service robots on the shores of the glowing sands of Neom.
The Things Crown Prince Did Not Say
The Crown Prince did not mention the displacement of thousands of families who refused to leave their homes and lands in which they lived for centuries, before the establishment of the kingdom. They were living in lands unequipped for human beings and instead of excreting efforts to fix their lives; he took their lands away from them.
He did not mention that his men unlawfully killed a man who refused to comply with the displacement decision, and after killing him, they accused him of terrorism and then arrested dozens of his family to force them to comply with the decision.
He did not mention Khashoggi’s murder, which allowed the west to see it as a medieval kingdom. The propaganda made on Neom did not change the kingdom’s image, nor did The Line and Saudi Arabia’s record of human rights will not go unnoticed.
Read More: Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to Secure NEOM What is bin Salman Afraid Of?
