Saudi Arabia: NEOM businesses should beware land & migrant workers' rights violations, greenwashing & environmental degradation, says NGO; co. did not respond
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The companies and Saudi authorities have treated my brother with callous disregard. At every stage since his death, they have failed to act sufficiently, causing me and my family even more pain and hardship. As such, our quest for answers and justice continues, for Abdul Wali and others who have suffered a similar fate.Meer Wali Khan, whose brother died on a Neom construction site in 2023
In November 2024, NGO ALQST released a human rights and environmental impact assessment paper outlining the risks posed to human rights in the planning, constructing and implementing of the NEOM megaproject in Saudi Arabia. The report builds on research the organisation previously published into forced evictions and violations of land rights for local residents, members of the Huwaitat tribe, including the killing of leader Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti by Special Forces in 2020.
As well as highlighting forced evictions and suppression of dissent during preparations for the project, ALQST also highlights:
- Risks to migrant workers, particularly in the construction industry;
- Digital surveillance and lack of privacy rights for future residents of Neom;
- Endangering biodiversity and the ecosystem;
- The size of the megacity's carbon footprint and energy-intense nature of its construction; and,
- "Greenwashing", as part of the state's broader efforts to greenwash their environmental impact.
Neom’s development relies heavily on international investment and partnerships, making foreign businesses some of the best-placed actors with real power to challenge Saudi Arabia’s authorities. We urge them to look closely at the evidence, and take the appropriate actionJulia Legner, ALQST’s Executive Director
The report also documents the death of Pakistani civil engineer Abdul Wali Skandar Khan, who died while working on a Neom construction site after a guardrail collapsed. Employed by a subcontractor of China Comservice, Abdul Wali's family allege neither company nor the Saudi authorities adequately investigated his death or repatriated his body. A small amount of compensation was provided to the Pakistani embassy directly, without the family's agreement, and they could not access it. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited China Comservice to respond to the allegations; it did not respond.