Table of Contents
image source, AFP
3 hours ago
Human Rights Watch accused Saudi Crown Prince and the Kingdom’s de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, of using the sovereign’s Public Investment Fund to commit human rights violations and then to cover up those violations.
In a lengthy report titled “The Man Who Bought the World,” the human rights group said that “the vast wealth of the Saudi state is effectively under the control of one person,” referring to Bin Salman, Chairman of the Board of Directors the World. The Saudi Public Investment Fund, which is one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. Its value is estimated to be around a trillion dollars.
Human Rights Watch said the fund’s capital had already been used to set up projects that “displaced residents” who lived where those projects were located, “destroying neighborhoods , abusing migrant workers, and silencing local communities. “
At the forefront of these projects is NEOM City, a new economic zone on the Red Sea that is being built from scratch.
According to Human Rights Watch, “Saudi authorities sentenced members of the Al-Huwaitat tribe, who had lived in the proposed NEOM area for centuries, to 50 years in prison and three to death for ‘ oppose the eviction process.
Also, the Al-Qst Human Rights Group (an independent non-governmental organization based in the United Kingdom) issued a report on Tuesday about what it described as “the dark side of the NEOM project,” noting major violations related to to forced displacement and the persecution of the indigenous population of the area, and other concerns that included widespread workers’ rights violations.
For its part, the Saudi authorities have not commented on this yet.
In an interview with the BBC, Abdul Aziz bin Razen, a consultant at the Center for Arab Studies in Riyadh, said: “Human Rights Watch cares about the humanitarian side, and it follows human rights in every country in the world. , and in doing so. he must have seen the humanitarian efforts and the relief space of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Bin Razen asked: “Is it possible that a state that performs all these humanitarian activities would be so cruel to its people as shown in the Human Rights Watch report?” “
Regarding the compulsion to expel residents to establish projects, Bin Razen said: “Saudi Arabia is living in a phase of development change related to projects that serve the people, and it has been to pay valuable compensation to all the people who were injured by these projects, and no one has appeared in the political and social scene criticizing this behavior, but On the Hand other, there are people proud of what is happening, and some are in a state of wonder with this qualitative shift in the life of Saudi society.
“ambitious young man”
image source, Saudi Press Agency
Comment on the picture, NEW PORT
The city of NEOM is equal in area to the US state of Massachusetts. The NEOM project represents a priority for the Saudi Crown Prince, and is considered an integral part of his vision for the Kingdom 2030.
In addition to being a “major real estate development,” Bin Salman aims for NEOM to be a “home for businesses,” creating diversification for the Kingdom’s economy, away from its dependence on oil.
In this regard, Councilor Abdulaziz bin Razen said: “The Saudi Crown Prince is an ambitious young man who discovered that his country has great wealth and many previously untapped investment opportunities, so he ‘ he worked to diversify the state’s sources of income, which were limited to oil.”
But opponents see the NEOM project as “a waste of the Kingdom’s money on unnecessary things.”
At the time it was announced in 2017, the nominal cost of the NEOM project was $500 billion, and experts say that the reasonable cost of the project exceeds $2 trillion, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Human Rights Watch said that it did not find in the projects financed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (especially the NEOM project) any evidence of strengthening the government’s commitment to the realization of economic, social and cultural rights. his people.
The poverty rate among Saudis is considered to be the highest compared to the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, at 13.6%, which means that poverty affects about “one in every seven Saudis,” according to United Nations statistics.
In this regard, Councilor Abdul Aziz bin Razen said: “In every society there is poverty, but the most important question is ‘Which of these societies or countries is not so poor?’ In numbers, there is no official survey that proves that there is a Saudi citizen living in a state of poverty.”
Bin Razen said: “Anyone who visits Saudi Arabia and moves between its cities will not feel that a large percentage live in poverty, as can be seen from the financial programs that is aimed at people who do not have a fixed income, and they are many. “
“A tool for soft power and Saudi influence”
The Human Rights Watch report touched on human rights violations committed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, noting, for example, the killing of an opposition journalist. Jamal Khashoggi 2018.
The report explained, “The two planes used to transport those involved in the Khashoggi killing operation to Istanbul belong to Sky Prime Air Services, and their ownership was transferred to the Fund as part of the “initiative of the -anti-corruption” launched by the Saudi. Crown Prince in 2017, which then included “arbitrary arrest and extortion of property from the Saudi elite.” According to Human Rights Watch.
A human rights report said that the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s investments were used in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries around the world as a “tool of Saudi power and soft influence.”
About ten years ago, the Saudi Public Investment Fund was given the green light to expand, and the way was laid out for it, according to the British magazine The Economist.
Since then, the Saudi Investment Fund has bought shares in everything from Britain’s Heathrow Airport and Japanese video game company Nintendo to American Hollywood studios as well as French hotels.
Investments included the sports field, such as the Live Golf League, the 2034 World Cup, and Newcastle United Football Club in Great Britain.
Last year, the Saudi Public Investment Fund was ranked first in the world as the world’s largest spending sovereign wealth fund, according to the British magazine. It is aimed to increase the wealth of the Saudi Fund from 3.5 to 7.5 trillion rubles by the end of this decade.
Human rights activists believe that tourism, sports, and other big projects are being used to wash the reputation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia away from human rights violations.
Human Rights Watch believed that these investments seek to “further unwarranted foreign support for Mohammed bin Salman’s agenda, spread false information about the Saudi human rights record, neutralize investigation, load -silencing criticism, and undermining institutions that seek transparency and accountability.”
image source, Xinhua
Comment on the picture, Riyadh
The Al-Qst Human Rights Group said that “the real ethical challenges and reputational risks for project partners and investors” are higher than ever.
Julia Legner, Executive Director of ALQST, said: “The development of the NEOM city project is highly dependent on investment and international partnerships, making foreign companies among the best actors with real power to challenge the Saudi authorities. and take appropriate action.”
In an interview with Agence France-Presse, Saudi opposition figure Yahya Al-Asiri said, “The situation regarding freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia is now the worst in the Kingdom’s history.”
Al-Asiri said: “No one in the country, no one at all, is allowed to say anything unless it is with the permission of the authorities sentenced to prison for years and years.” For a few words on Twitter.
But Councilor Abdulaziz bin Razen believes that “all political and other rights are guaranteed to the Saudi citizen, within a clear framework entitled stability and security.”
He said, “Justice is one of the most important indicators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, indicating the electronic services provided by the Saudi Ministry of Justice that are rarely found in other countries. “
Bin Razen then said: “Although mistakes happen in any field, I can say that mistakes in the Saudi judiciary are at their lowest levels. “
In September 2023, a Fox News anchor asked the Saudi Crown Prince about sentencing opponents for Twitter posts, and he replied that his government was “doing its best” to change the status quo , and that would take some time to repair.
Bin Salman said, “We are not happy about that…but the legal system is forced to follow the laws, and I cannot tell the judge ‘Do that and avoid the law’ because that is against the rule of law . we have bad laws? There are.
2024-11-20 22:23:00
#Mohammed #bin #Salman #Human #Rights #Watch #condemns #Saudi #Crown #Princes #control #Public #Investment #Fund #Kingdom
What are your thoughts on how the Saudi government’s investments in global sports and entertainment may influence public perception of its human rights practices, particularly among younger generations?
D questions to encourage the respondent to share their opinions and insights on the various topics covered in the article.
1. How do you think the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s expansions over the past decade, including major sports and entertainment acquisitions, have impacted the country’s image globally in terms of human rights issues and political relations with other nations?
2. In what ways have these investments potentially been used to “wash” or offset negative publicity surrounding Saudi Arabia’s human rights record?
3. How can foreign companies and investors who partner with the Saudi government balance ethical concerns related to human rights violations with financial interests when considering involvement in projects like NEOM city?
4. How do you assess the current state of freedom of expression and political dissent within Saudi Arabia compared to past years, and what challenges do activists and opposition figures face in expressing their opinions?
5. Do you think that recent reforms in the Saudi legal system, including the launch of electronic services and a shift towards a more lenient approach to justice, are sufficient to address concerns about human rights violations and political repression within the kingdom? If not, what further measures do you recommend be taken?