The Wall Street article draws attention to the grave worries over the Neom megacity project management in Saudi Arabia. This $500 billion project is expected to be quite large. It is around 33 times larger than New York City. Numerous city-related characteristics will be included in this project. Among other ambitious plans were a 170 km straight city, an eight-sided floating metropolis, and a ski resort including a distinctive vertical hamlet.
The odd conduct of Wayne Borg, the Australian media director for Neom, is also examined in the reports. Racist and bigoted comments are attributed to Borg. He allegedly minimized the event that resulted in the deaths of three employees. He said that their deaths were only an incorrect rationalization for the gathering.
Borg also has allegations of using harsh language. According to him, South Asian foreigners are less valuable as compared to white people.
It is concerning since all of these accusations indicate a serious lack of respect and professionalism. Such behavior is suggestive of poor project management and might compromise the ethical foundation. The findings indicate that a project of this magnitude, like Neom, has to be changed. It is essential to address every issue to ensure that each employee is treated fairly and with respect.
These type of actions from Borg also raises serious concerns. His statement reflects that he does not any care about the safety of his workers. His statements, such as “you can’t train for stupidity” and “the white blokes are at the top of the tree,” explained his contempt for security and safety.
How did the three workers lose their lives?
Under harsh circumstances, three workers lost their lives. One was killed due to a pipe fault, another due to a wall collapse, and a third was killed while handling explosives. This death incident points out the serious issue with the security of the workplace.
Additionally, Borg was involved in another controversy involving racial comments. He was accused of calling a black female employee a derogatory term, though he denied using it. He also reportedly sent inappropriate messages to her, including a comment about her appearance compared to a famous singer, with kiss emojis.
In a meeting, Borg referred to the incident with offensive language, and this was recorded and made public. He also made disrespectful remarks about women from the Gulf and Islam, which were captured in audio clips. These actions suggest a lack of respect and professionalism in the workplace.
It has claimed to follow a strict policy against this harsh behavior and also makes a promise to investigate any accusation thoroughly. However, Borg ignored these claims and did not make any comment.
The report also highlights the allegations of corruption and embezzlement involving senior executives. Back in 2021, when Antoni Vives, a former Neom executive, was convicted of corruption. At that time he was working at Barcelona’s city hall.
He admitted to giving a friend a “no-show job” worth $165,000 over four years and received a two-year suspended prison sentence. Despite his resignation from Neom, Vives was persuaded to return, reportedly due to his strong connections with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The prince allegedly overlooked Vives’ past crimes as long as they did not occur in Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, Vives was involved in a physical altercation with a construction manager. He is now sought by Spanish prosecutors on separate corruption charges.
Prosecutors want a six-year prison sentence for those who are involved in corruption and fraud. They are the ones that block justice. The accused has not commented on these charges.
The CEO of the Neom project, Nadhmi al-Nasr, is famous for its strict behaviors. He is the tough boss because he treats his employees like slaves. Neom is under the leadership of MBS (Mohammad Bin Salman), which is a major part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan. Its main objective is to improve the country’s image on the global stage and also reduce the nation’s reliance on oil.
There are serious concerns about how Neom is being developed. Reports say that Saudi security forces were ordered to use deadly force against people resisting eviction from areas needed for the project. The Howeitat tribe, who have lived in the region for centuries, is reportedly being forced to move. Human rights group Alqst says at least 47 tribe members have been detained or arrested, and five have been sentenced to death.