2 weeks ago
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Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden has raised allegations with the Saudi authorities that its forces were "told to kill" for a futuristic metropolis pursuing a BBC investigation.
Neom's The Line, the godforsaken city, is 1 of the projects promoted at a UK-hosted event, external successful Riyadh.
Mr Dowden and 5 different ministers are starring a 450-strong delegation connected a commercialized ngo to Saudi Arabia.
The UK said it has captious economical and nationalist information interests there.
Speakers astatine the lawsuit see footballer Rio Ferdinand, erstwhile curate Jo Johnson and a British Airways executive.
Human rights groups person urged UK delegates to unit Saudi leaders implicit the BBC's exclusive investigation.
The "Great Futures" motorboat lawsuit taking spot this week claims to "bring to beingness the sheer standard of opportunities for UK concern successful Saudi Arabia" and kickstarts a year-long concern promoting trade, tourism, and acquisition betwixt the 2 countries.
The UK's Cabinet Office posted photos of the lawman premier curate with Saudi leaders connected X.
He was quoted arsenic saying that "Britain doesn't conscionable endorse Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, we privation to beryllium a portion of it".
Asked astir the BBC's report, the premier minister's authoritative spokesperson confirmed that Mr Dowden had "raised the contented of the attraction of villagers successful the operation of the Neom task successful his bilateral meetings portion helium has been retired connected this visit."
He added that the UK had captious economical and nationalist information interests with Saudi Arabia, but that "no facet of our narration prevents america from speaking frankly to them astir these sorts of issues".
Neom is 1 large portion of Saudi's Vision 2030 strategy which aims to diversify the kingdom's system distant from oil.
Images of Neom's The Line, a mirrored metropolis successful the desert, are cardinal to the Department for Business and Trade's website advertizing the event.
Last week, an ex-intelligence officer, Colonel Rabih Alenezi, told the BBC that helium was ordered to evict villagers from a people successful the Gulf authorities to marque mode for The Line, portion of the Neom eco-project.
One of them was subsequently changeable and killed for protesting against eviction. A connection issued by Saudi authorities information astatine the clip alleged that helium had opened occurrence connected information forces and they had been forced to retaliate. Human rights organisations and the UN person said helium was killed simply for resisting eviction.
The Saudi authorities and Neom absorption refused to remark connected the findings of the BBC investigation.
Amnesty International, a quality rights organisation, said: "The world down specified futuristic projects is the brutal repression of citizens and residents."
"Any concern that knowingly contributes to quality rights harms is successful wide usurpation of planetary law," Dana Ahmed, Amnesty International's Middle East Researcher said.
ALQST, a UK-based quality rights group, said it appears that the UK is "increasingly consenting to crook a unsighted oculus to the catalogue of Saudi abuses connected the ground."
"Imagine if companies moving connected Neom made their engagement conditional connected the merchandise of section residents arrested for protesting forced eviction?" said Josh Cooper, lawman manager of the organisation.
"Or if assemblage chancellors withheld Saudi partnerships until detained University of Leeds PhD pupil Salma al-Shehab was freed? Such steps would person a affirmative bearing," helium added.
The BBC contacted respective high-profile speakers participating successful the event, but galore did not respond.
Of those that did, galore described the lawsuit arsenic an important accidental to showcase and beforehand British business, civilization and society.
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