Saudi Megaprojects: A Mirage Redesigned
📰 THE STORY: Newsweek reports that Saudi Arabia's ambitious multi-trillion-dollar NEOM megacity, including 'The Line,' is undergoing a 'redesign,' with projections for its primary residential section now housing a vastly reduced population by 2030, suggesting scalebacks and adjusted timelines. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The 'redesign' narrative distracts from the brutal
reality of NEOM's inception. In 2020, Saudi courts sentenced five members of the Howeitat tribe to death and dozens to lengthy prison terms for refusing to vacate their ancestral lands to make way for the project. Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti, a tribal activist, was killed in 2020 by state security forces for protesting the displacement. This echoes a pattern of land dispossession and state violence
against indigenous populations across the globe, often for 'development' projects benefiting the elite. Double Standard: Western media outlets, including Newsweek, often frame these issues as mere 'planning adjustments' or economic recalibrations, while similar forced displacements or human rights abuses in nations targeted by global powers are condemned as atrocities. Imagine the outcry if Russia
or China forcibly removed and executed citizens for a state-led development. The silence here is deafening, revealing who is sanctioned and who is merely 'redesigning'. Follow the Money: The funds for NEOM, even with its 'redesign,' flow from Saudi Arabia's vast oil wealth, enabling it to continue lucrative arms deals and maintain its strategic position as a U.S. and Israeli ally in West Asia. US