Saudi Arabia abruptly replaced Nadmi al-Nasr, the longtime CEO of its ambitious and controversial “megacity” project, on Tuesday, multiple media reported. reported.
Neom is the name of a $500 billion future “zero carbon” city being built on the northern coast of the Red Sea under the orders of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). This project is part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. initiative It aims to diversify the economy and reduce its heavy dependence on oil revenues.
The prince said the future “megacity” would compete with Miami as an international tourist destination and a major venue for sports and other entertainment. The project calls for the construction of several different neighborhoods, including a luxury island, a ski resort, and a Silicon Valley-style technology hub.the line” is a 166-mile-long skyscraper said to be home to millions of people.
At the time of writing, the Neom project is far from complete and the Saudi government is reportedly The line's 2030 goal has been significantly reduced to “just one and a half miles” by 2030.
The company in charge of the project announced On Tuesday, the company announced on its website that Ayman Al Mudayfa has replaced Nadmi Al Nasr, who had been CEO of the project since 2018. The company did not disclose the reason for the sudden change.
“As Neom enters a new phase of delivery, this new leadership will ensure operational continuity, agility and efficiency in line with the overall vision and objectives of the project,” the company said. Mr Al Mudaifah has a deep strategic understanding of the project.” Neom and its projects. ”
“In his role at PIF, Mr. Eng. Al Mudaifah oversees all local real estate investments and infrastructure projects. He is also a board member of several prominent companies in the Kingdom,” the statement said. continued.
The company did not disclose the reason for replacing Mr. Al Nasr, but sources said: said british times He was “fired.” Reuters reported On Tuesday, the company announced that Al Nasr's resignation was due to the former CEO's “failure to meet key performance indicators,” according to an anonymous person familiar with the matter, without providing further details. .
The Neom project has been marred by numerous reports of worker deaths, inhumane working conditions, ethnic cleansing of areas where the city was to be built, and inappropriate behavior by executives in the workplace. In late October, British television network ITV condemned Over the past eight years, 21,000 migrant workers from India, Bangladesh and Nepal have died in the Saudi desert while working on the project. Hindustan Times further away reported Another 100,000 workers are said to be missing.
In September, wall street journal reported Former CEO Al Nasr has said in the past that the company is forcing “everyone into slavery” during a meeting, according to the newspaper. Antoni Vives, a Spaniard and one of the lead developers of The Line, got into a physical fight with the construction manager.
Vives was convicted of corruption in 2021 on charges of official corruption during his tenure at Barcelona City Hall. The Saudi crown prince reportedly said he didn't care “as long as Vives doesn't commit crimes in Saudi Arabia.”
In 2022, Mr. Al Nasr, now the former CEO, reportedly He told one of the project executives to “walk to his death in the desert to urinate on his grave.”
In May, exiled Saudi colonel Rabbi Arenej condemned The Saudi government has ordered the military to kill members of the indigenous Huwaytat tribe who are resisting eviction from land where a “megacity” project is being built, the BBC reported.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
