Saudi forces 'told to kill people' to make way for $1 trillion giga-project The Line

A former intelligence officer has claimed that forces in Saudi Arabia were permitted to kill people to make way for the country's $1 trillion giga-project The Line.

Created as part of Saudi Arabia's Neom project, The Line has been touted as a 'mirrored architectural masterpiece' intended to house nine million people when it's completed.

On the Neom website, the site is described as 'the future of urban living' and promises that people's 'health and wellbeing will be prioritized'.

However, colonel Rabih Alenezi, an ex-intelligence officer, has revealed to the BBC that forces were given permission to end lives if it meant moving The Line towards completion.

According to Alenezi, who went into exile in the UK last year, Saudi authorities permitted the use of lethal force to clear the land.

Alenezi claimed he was ordered specifically to evict villagers from a tribe living in al-Khuraybah in the Gulf state, located 4.5km south of The Line, in April 2020.

There, villages were mostly populated by the Huwaitat tribe, who have lived in the region for generations.

The Line has been designed to be made with mirrored material. (Neom)

Alenezi told the BBC the order claimed the Huwaitat community consisted of 'many rebels', and that 'whoever continues to resist [eviction] should be killed, so it licensed the use of lethal force against whoever stayed in their home'.

The colonel said he ultimately avoided going on the mission due to medical grounds he invented, but that didn't stop the eviction going ahead.

When the forces came to clear the land, one of the residents, Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti, is said to have protested the eviction.

He had previously posted multiple videos online protesting the evictions, and he refused to allow a land registry committee to value his property.

One day after he refused the committee, al-Huwaiti was shot and ultimately killed.

A statement issued by Saudi state security at the time claimed al-Huwaiti was shot after he opened fire on security forces. However, the United Nations has alleged he was killed for resisting eviction.

You can even see the construction from satellites. (YouTube/The Line)

The UN has also reported that 47 other villagers were detained and many were prosecuted on terror-related charges after resisting eviction.

While BBC News has not been able to independently verify Alenezi's comments about lethal force, a source familiar with the Saudi intelligence directorate told the publication the testimony was in line with what they knew about similar missions in general.

The Saudi government and Neom management have refused to comment on Alenezi's claims, though authorities noted residents who have been required to move to make way for The Line have been offered compensation.

However, ALQST Organization for Supporting Human Rights has said the money which has been paid out has been lower than the amount promised.

Alenezi claimed: "Mohamed Bin Salman will let nothing stand in the way of the building of Neom…"

UNILAD has contacted a representative for Neom for comment.

Topics: Politics, World News

Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.