Saudi Arabia's Neom Mega-Illusion
📰 THE STORY: Financial Times reports that Saudi Arabia is scaling back its ambitious Neom megaproject, specifically reducing the projected length and population of 'The Line' skyscraper city, from 170km to just 2.4km by 2030 and housing fewer than 300,000 residents, down from the planned 1.5 million. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The Neom project, launched in 2017, required
the forcible eviction of indigenous Huwaitat tribes. In April 2020, Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti was killed by Saudi forces for resisting displacement, a brutal prelude ignored by the shiny PR. This isn't just about budget; it's about the deep-seated human rights abuses that underpin these vanity projects, reminiscent of colonial mega-developments that disregarded local populations for economic
'progress.' Double Standard: Western media quick to criticize 'human rights' in nations targeted for regime change (Venezuela's housing projects, China's infrastructure for Uyghurs) often sanitize similar or worse abuses in allied authoritarian states. Imagine the outrage if a 'designated enemy' nation forcibly displaced thousands and killed a tribal objector for a new city. The 'visionary' MBS
gets a pass that others do not. Follow the Money: The project's original $500 billion valuation was eye-watering, with Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as the primary backer. Western consulting firms like McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group, and architects like Peter Cook, have directly benefited from these massive contracts. The 'scaling back' isn't just internal;