The Neom project, which will force 20,000 Huwaitat people from their land, requires the assistance of investment, consultants and various other contractors to reach fruition, and those involved are already feeling pressure over their support of the project.
Here at Never Neom, we want to help inform potential partners of the Neom project about the human rights abuses taking place, and how their involvement emboldens the regime to continue its campaigns of repression, especially of the Huwaitat.
Already, one member of the Huwaitat tribe has been murdered and eight are known to have been detained for standing up to the plans.
Unless the Saudi regime takes serious action to prevent further abuses of human rights, we will continue to say “Never Neom”, and we ask those supporting our aims to put pressure on contractors and others involved in Neom’s construction to withdraw from the project.
We have already seen some of those scheduled to be involved with Neom withdraw, thanks to international pressure over issues such as Saudi Arabia’s role in Yemen and its murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Among those to abandon their support of Neom were advisors Daniel L Doctoroff and architect Norman Foster, who left after the journalist’s killing.
So far, the case of expulsions of the Huwaitat have less international prominence, but we want the world to know, which is why we set up this website.
We will continue to update the site with details of those involved, especially from the western world.
Already activists around the world are calling on such organisations to condemn Saudi Arabia’s appalling human rights record. For example, ALQST has written an open letter to management consultancies Boston Consulting Group, in the US, and Oliver Wyman and Mckinsey & Co, in the UK.
Other organisations involved with Neom include the Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team, which is an official partner of the project, and British tech company Arm Holdings.
British company Solar Water has also signed up to the project, and will be working on water desalination for Neom. There are many more, and we will work to ensure these companies know the true nature of the Neom project and what it means for thousands of marginalised people. We would also urge our supporters to let these companies know the truth about Neom.