NEOM First Achievements
Like Israel, the city of Neom proves its existence by usurping the lands of an ancient tribe for centuries. Today this ancient Saudi tribe is in danger of extinction, as the arrogant Crown Prince dreams of establishing his dream project on this land, according to The Independent newspaper.
The British newspaper published a report, stated that this strange project which expresses vanity is opposed by an ancient Saudi tribe; Al-Huwaitat tribe, whose sons have grazed the sheep in the region for centuries. In recent months, the Saudi authorities have arrested, prosecuted, and even killed members of the tribe, for asking about the feasibility of the project or for refusing to sell their ancestral land to the state.
The newspaper quoted the Saudi human rights activist in London, Alia Al-Huwaiti, speaking on behalf of the tribe: “When they started Neom project at the beginning of 2016, Mohammed bin Salman promised them to be part of it and to participate in its construction and development of the region” and “In 2020 they were forced to leave the land without finding a place to reside in it. And when you open your mouth and say something on social media, you disappear from the world. ”
Al-Hawitat tribe, whose branches are distributed in Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Saudi Arabia, is considered to be one of the most oppressed and abused tribes. Two members of the tribe were arrested last Thursday, and one of them was taken from the university in an attempt to silence the tribe, Al-Huwaiti said. The newspaper noted that the repression, two years after the kidnapping, torture and dismemberment of the body of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has increased dramatically.
The tribe members urged the United Nations to investigate their predicament and said that Saudi Arabia’s acts amount to destroying a local group.
A tribe statement read: “Apart from promotional videos for Neom claiming that it is a “virgin land”, Al-Huwaitat tribe has lived in large parts of the land for hundreds of years. Despite the slow implementation of the project due to the global economic situation, the Saudi authorities continue to forcibly evict Al-Hawitat people from their lands, which include 13 villages along the Red Sea.
Abdul Rahim Al-Huwaiti, a member of the tribe, was killed in April in a confrontation with the Saudi authorities after he refused to move from his land.
Alia Al Huwaiti, a professional jockey who worked with Saudi billionaire Al Waleed bin Talal, says she received messages from people threatening to kidnap her, pull out her eye, and dissolve her in acid, for defending her tribe. She warned once that she might face the same fate of Jamal Khashoggi.
She adds that the tribe was promised to receive adequate compensation from the project, but the authorities “changed their minds” after that and decided to pursue Al-Huwaitat and evict them from their land. “The crown prince is forcing people out of their lands, through intimidation”, “Neom is built on our bones and our blood,” she adds.
The authorities offered the families a small amount to leave their lands, $3,000. Only one in 30 families accepted the offer. The authorities closed down schools, cut off electricity, and properties mysteriously were set on fire. “They say that you have to accept the offer, otherwise you’d get kicked out without a penny”, “The atmosphere in general is terrifying.”, Al-Huwaiti says.
The Saudi authorities did not release much about the displacement of Al-Huwaitat, but they claimed that Abdel Rahim Al-Huwaiti had opened fire first on the security forces, forcing them to respond.
The newspaper quoted members of the tribe’s Consultation Council as saying that no one was forced or pursued by the authorities to leave their lands. It quoted the Saudi analyst Ali Al-Shehabi as saying that Saudi Arabia has a history of confiscating lands from everyone to build the state.
“The government has always compensated the owner of lands with money at prices higher than the market, and nothing new in this case”. He said that the government is offering them housing anywhere they want in Saudi, pointing to other benefits such as a thousand scholarships abroad.
However, attorney Rodney Dickson in London, who represents the tribe, spoke of “organized” attacks on the tribe that may amount to crimes against humanity and warrant international attention. He says he suspects the presence of documents proving the organized destruction, but there are videos revealing this brutality. “People were forced to leave and not return to the land of their ancestors,” he added. “People have been provoked and threatened with unwarranted and unnecessary threats to build a big city.”
more: NEOM’s First Visitor: MBS Recieves Netanyahu at the Opening of International Visits to the city
