Saudi Arabia: UN experts alarmed by imminent executions linked to NEOM project
www.ohchr.org
GENEVA (3 May 2023) – UN experts* today expressed alarm at the imminent risk of execution of three members of the Howeitat tribe in Saudi Arabia and urged authorities to halt the process. “Despite being charged with terrorism, they were reportedly arrested for resisting forced evictions in the name of the NEOM project and the construction of a 170km linear city called The Line,” the UN experts said. NEOM is a futuristic smart city development project of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

Despite being charged with terrorism, three members of the Howeitat tribe were reportedly arrested for resisting forced evictions in the name of the NEOM project and the construction of a 170km linear city called The Line. Since January 2020, Saudi authorities have reportedly carried out a series of actions to evict members of the Howeitat tribe from their homes and traditional lands in three villages in the name of the NEOM project, a futuristic smart city development project of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.