Officially, it is still on track. Several Huwaitat tribesmen have rejected what they call "vague" compensation offers, activists told AFP, even as state-run media have published a pledge of loyalty by the tribe to Saudi. Middle East Luxury Travel News: Equinox to Open Hotel in Saudi Arabia Members of the 20,000 strong community have been resisting Saudi attempts to force them out of the area designated for the $500 billion mega-project. Tribe members have faced abductions and arbitrary arrest at the hands of the Saudi security forces. Saudi forces kill man who refused to give up property: Activists Saudi Arabia Sentences 3 Men to Death For Refusing to Vacate - VICE At the same time, the authorities have dramatically increased their use of the death penalty, carrying out 148 executions in 2022more than twice as many as in 2021and resuming executions for drug-related offences that do not involve violence. We came from Saudi Arabia originally and moved North from there. ALQST, an independent group monitoring human rights in Saudi Arabia, reported that Shadli, Attaullah and Ibrahim al-Howeitat of the Howeitat tribe from the northern Tabuk province were sentenced to death earlier this month at a Saudi criminal court. Thank you to all our guests who have taken the time to write reviews on tripadvisor and who have kept us in the top 5 from 2011-2017. Howeitat - Wikipedia Specifically, the Huwaitat tribe has inhabited the Neom area for generations. Video, Saudis plan to build $500bn mega city and business zone, The secret tapes of Jamal Khashoggi's murder, Mohammed bin Salman: How Saudi Arabia's crown prince rose to power, he said he expected the authorities to plant weapons in his house to incriminate him, Iran's government distances itself from sex tape scandal, Biden acknowledges seventh grandchild for first time, Judge dismisses Trump 'Big Lie' lawsuit against CNN, Taylor Swift Seattle concert generates seismic activity, The bygone island fort reclaimed by nature. . In 2020, a Huwaitat tribe member was shot dead after he refused to give up his land for the project. 2023 BBC. Later, they recorded footage inside his house, pockmarked with bullet holes. An illustration of Neom, which will be built in Saudi Arabias Tabuk province. More recently, the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the global economy and the oil price has plummeted to historic lows. Now comes news, via Saudi dissident groups based abroad, that death sentences meted out last year to three other members of the tribe on dubious terrorism charges have been upheld on appeal. Watch: BBC editor's life in Russia since 2022 on piano. Others from Khuraibat recorded videos of gunfire from outside his house. According to a London-based activist and spokesperson of the tribe, Alya Alhwaiti, and members of the tribe called the United Nations to investigate the matter. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. MBS has also implemented an invasive surveillance infrastructure to spy on Saudis suspected of being critical of the government, as well as arresting civil society and religious figures that have fallen foul of his policies. The Howeitat speak a variety of Bedouin Arabic, specifically Northwest Arabian Arabic. [5] In later years the Howeitat returned to farming; they were also prominent in the Arab Legion, the ibn Jazi section becoming the most powerful component in the federation. The three members of the Howeitat tribe were given death sentences by Saudi Arabias special courts on the 2nd of October. In 10 years from now we will be looking back and we will say we were the first ones to come here, declares a Neom staff member featured in the video. [6], He was later killed by Saudi security forces, who claimed he had opened fire on them. The authorities kept his body for weeks before handing it over to his family. In one, he said he expected the authorities to plant weapons in his house to incriminate him. Thank you to all the photographers who have stayed with us and graciously allowed us to use their pictures on our website. The actions also constitute flagrant violations of the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.. Crown Prince Mohammed was praised at the start of his tenure for introducing liberalising policies, such as allowing women to drive cars, but the positive atmosphere soured after he was accused by of ordering the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. To view this content choose accept and continue. These actions would certainly amount to forced evictions, which are prohibited under international law as a violation of the right to adequate housing, the experts said. In 2022 alone, the Saudi authorities carried out 122 executions, according to rights groups. Staff Writer Fri 28 Jul 2023. Outside of the Neom proposals themselves, the planned city has caused years of strife for Huwaitat tribe members, who have faced forced evictions and state violence in response to their resistance to being displaced. The three men Shadly Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti, Ibrahim Salih Ahmad Abou Khalil al-Huwaiti and Atallah Moussa Mohammed al-Huwaiti were reportedly sentenced to death on 5 August last year and their sentences were upheld on appeal on 23 January, the statement said. Visitors stand next to a drone taxi during an exhibition on Neom in Riyadh. [6], Eight cousins of Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti have been arrested for protesting against the eviction order but Alya Abutayah Alhwaiti said that she and human rights activists in the west hoped to challenge the arrests. He was sent for by his Egyptian friends; these, however, were satisfied by a false report of his death: he married his benefactors daughter; he became Shaykh after the demise of his father-inlaw; he drove the Mazah from El-Akabah, and he left four sons, the progenitors and eponymi of the Midianite Huwaytt. Tribal dynamics of the Saudi regime - an internal time bomb Saudi activists dispute official narrative on al-Hwaiti killing Paris Saint-Germain confirmed it received a 300 million ($332 million) bid from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal for star attacker Kylian Mbapp, according to the Associated Press' James Robson. [1] The Howeitat are unusual in claiming descent from a single ancestor, an Egyptian named Huwayt. [1] A Bloomberg expose on the project published in July found that MBS is pouring lavish amounts of money into salaries for consultants and other experts but potentially not receiving much constructive feedback. Report: Saudi Arabia to Execute Tribesmen for Refusing to Vacate Site The men have refused to be displaced from their ancestral homeland to make way for the $500 billion NEOM megacity. On 23 May 2022, Shadli [al-Huwaitat] went on hunger strike in protest against ill-treatment and being placed in solitary confinement, and after two weeks the Dhahban Prison administration inserted a tube into his stomach to force-feed him, a form of torture, ALQST asserted. Its definitely not for the people already living there! How much would you be able to create for the companies and the private sector?. The Howeitat have several branches, notably the Ibn Jazi, the Abu Tayi, the Anjaddat, and the Sulaymanniyin, in addition to a number of associated tribes. In a statement, the Saudi authorities claimed hed been killed in a shootout with regional security forces, stating that Abdul Rahim injured two after he shot back. It was a long time in the making. READ: Saudi 'surveillance city': Would you sell your data to 'The Line'? Henderson's contract, worth close to 700,000 ($917,000) per week, has . Neom is the flagship project of what MBS, the de facto ruler of the country, has branded Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to diversify the Saudi economy to move it away from oil. They arrested anyone who said theyre against deportation, they dont want to leave, they want to remain [in] their homes, that they dont want money. According to ALQST, the three members of the Huwaitat tribe were sentenced after being "forcibly evicted and displaced to make way for the Neom megaproject", which is planned for the northeast. Forced Displacement Threatens al-Huwaitat Tribe as Saudi Arabia Begins His Royal Highness announces designs for #THE_LINE, the city of the future in #NEOM.#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/LDyQrMd0lF. See them? Companies involved in the Neom project or considering engaging in it should take a stand now. Bin Salman imposes a tightening siege on the Al-Hawitat tribe Saudi officials said its personnel were shooting back after the man opened fire, a charge his family denies. Saudi Arabian City of the Future or Dystopian Nightmare Diplomacy Economy Energy Environment Health Politics Security Technology channels Eight Billion Voices Surveys and polls on the most important issues affecting the world's population. Well believe it when we see it. UN Special Rapporteurs working on behalf of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights dispute the veracity of the charges and sentencing, stating that the men were "arrested for resisting forced evictions", along with alleging torture of the detained.[8][9]. For the Huwaitat tribe, Neom is being built on our blood, on our bones, says Alia Hayel Aboutiyah al-Huwaiti, an outspoken activist and member of the tribe living in London. The court claimed he had defamed the state in his writings, according to, The Department of Homeland Security has provided, Reporting and analysis from the Hill and the White House, Saudi Arabias new mega-city may be built on a foundation of tyranny, The ground is cracking under Netanyahus feet, Israels biggest security threat is Benjamin Netanyahu, What Ukraine can learn from the Israel model, 3 things we learned from new charges against Trump in documents case, The incredibly damaging timeline of the alleged Mar-a-Lago coverup, The rights current thing: claiming Trump probes are a distraction, not only vast sums but also his own prestige, D.C. Council voted on Tuesday to stop pulling police officers out of schools, Read our recent editorial on why D.C. needs SROs. The public relations team for Neom, as well as executives from the management consulting firm Teneo, hired by Saudi authorities for more than $2m last year to represent the project, did not return requests for comment. Opinion | Saudi Arabia's MBS is displacing Huwaitat tribe for Neom city The Huwaitat are a nomadic tribe who settled in villages and inhabited the area for centuries. Western intelligence agencies believe his murder was carried out on the prince's orders, which the Saudi government denies. Its a virgin area that has a lot of beauty, says the voice over a string section soundtrack as the promotional video tracks colour-tinted panoramic shots of picturesque desert expanses, and deep azure lagoons. Three of the convicted men received the death penalty, while the other three received sentences ranging 27 to 50 years. "On 23 May 2022, Shadli [al-Huwaitat] went on hunger strike in protest against ill-treatment and being placed in solitary confinement, and after two weeks the Dhahban Prison administration inserted a tube into his stomach to force-feed him, a form of torture," ALQST asserted. His supporters have described the shooting as an extrajudicial killing. No roads, cars or emissions, the projects official website says. The country, which has zero tolerance for public dissent, has cracked down on people voicing concern and arrested an estimated 150 members of the community of 20,000. Saudi Arabia's al-Huwaitat tribe has sent an urgent communication to the United Nations calling for an investigation into allegations of forced displacement and abuse by Saudi authorities. This was accompanied by the arrest of eight members of the tribe. Together for Justice organisation has not been able to confirm the numbers and names of detainees so far. The murderers were sent by MBS, according to both Turkish and Western intelligence agency assessments. The NGO ALQST identified the men asShadli, Ibrahim, and Ataullah al-Huwaiti, members of the indigenous Huwaitat tribe that live on the land Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, known commonly as MBS, has chosen for the construction of Noem. Despite the disruption the city will cause to the environment and the desert ecosystem, NEOMs management has insisted it will be a zero-carbon city.. Saudi's future city, NEOM, launches renewable energy project His killing prompted social media users to highlight his death, referring to him as the "martyr of NEOM". [1] According to the Ottoman historian Qutb al-Din al-Nahrawali (d. 1582), the tribe was a branch of the Banu Uqba, the dominant tribe of the al-Karak-Shawbak region during Mamluk Sultanate rule (12601516) and whose chieftains were officially recognized by the Mamluk authorities. After being brought to trial earlier in the year, Shadli, Ibrahim, and Ataullah received their initial sentences on October 2, 2022, by Saudi Arabia's Specialised Criminal Court (SCC), the court established to handle cases involving terrorists. Alya Abutayah Alhwaiti told the BBC the threats were made in a phone call and on Twitter after she raised international awareness about a Saudi government plan to evict members of her tribe to make way for a 21st Century high-tech city on the shores of the Red Sea. Advertising materials stressed Neom will be built on virgin land, ready to be conquered with futuristic technology. The men were first arrested in 2020 for protesting against being evicted from their homeland, which will be the setting for NEOM, a sprawling, $500 billion mega-project. Last week, Henderson verbally agreed to join his former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard at Al Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia. She has reported the threats to the British police. The Heuwaitaat tribe is a very large tribe and we live all over Jordan (and other countries like Saudi Arabia, Syria, & even Egypt). But beneath the glitzy veneer lies a story of threats, forced eviction and bloodshed. The Swedish Observatory for Human Rights Information renews its call for companies involved in Neomor considering involvementto examine their corporate responsibilities and make use of any influence they have over Saudi authorities to end these violations.
Truist Future Credit Card,
How Long Is Taylor Swift Eras Tour,
Lexington Car Accident Today,
Christian Ostrander Salary,
Articles H
