Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion NEOM megacity project is ‘plagued by gang rapes, assassinations and suicides in sprawling labor camps,’ report says
A report claims that migrant camps built to house construction workers building Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion NEOM megacity are “plagued by gang rapes, attempted murders and suicides.”
More than 100,000 workers, mainly from countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, live in the nightmarish camps where crime and drug use are reportedly rife.
The shocking report, seen by the Wall Street Journalhas revealed that workers smuggled booze into the camp, despite Saudi Arabia being a dry country, and also engaged in massive brawls with guards.
In one harrowing case, an employee is said to have slit his wrists after complaining about not being paid.
There have also been several deaths at the site, with a British company saying they could find ‘no evidence’ of safety procedures at the multi-billion dollar project.
NEOM has been a favorite program of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since its launch in 2017 and is part of the Saudi Project 2030 – the oil state’s plan to open up its economy and move away from dependence on fossil fuels.
Once completed, the sprawling city will cover more than 263,000 hectares and be home to millions of people.
Central to the plan is The Line, a 180 kilometer long building that would be considered home by more than 9 million people.
NEOM has been the pet project of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (pictured) since its launch in 2017
At the center of the project is The Line (photo), a huge building 180 kilometers long that more than 9 million people would call home
An artist’s impression of what NEOM will look like upon completion. A report claims that migrant camps built to house project construction workers have been “plagued by gang rapes, attempted murders and suicides.”
The ambitious plan has been plagued by organizational failure and unachievable targets, with the company recently admitting that The Line will not be completed for another 50 years.
In November, NEOM CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr was fired after threatening to bury a worker in the desert.
Moreover, 21,000 workers have been killed in the past eight years. Data from the local medical clinic has now revealed horrific stories from the migrant camps.
In 2023, a violent uprising was launched to protest the quality of food served, with workers launching utensils and trays at the chefs.
That same year, a worker was treated for a drug overdose and staff discovered a dealer was selling meth at the camp.
The worst recorded incidents included cases of gang rape, suicides and even murder – but no further details are known about these claims.
In the meantime, The sun reported that UK government-owned company Serco had submitted a scathing assessment of safety standards in 2022, claiming there was ‘no evidence of a single, coherent strategic contingency plan covering the whole of NEOM’.
In 2023, workers were killed in several fatal accidents, including one man killed while handling explosives and another crushed when a tanker backed into him.
An artist’s impression of what the inside of The Line might look like. The ambitious plan has been plagued by organizational failure and unachievable targets, with the company recently admitting that The Line will not be completed for another 50 years.
An artist’s impression of what The Line will look like. 21,000 workers have died working on construction sites over the past eight years
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. NEOM is part of the Saudi Project 2030 – the oil states plan to open up their economies and move away from their dependence on fossil fuels
NEOM has reportedly been working to improve safety standards, but one employee described the workplace as “the wild west.”
A NEOM spokesperson said: ‘Protecting the welfare of those working on site is a top priority.’
They added that contractors must comply with Neom’s welfare standards, and that Neom investigates inappropriate behavior in the workplace, as well as allegations of misconduct or misconduct.
Earlier this month it was confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA World Cup in 2034.
It unveiled more than a dozen ambitious construction projects to build or upgrade a series of futuristic stadiums for the tournament.