Yet Saudi authorities have sought to clear areas along 170km of northwestern Tabuk province of its residents, many of whom belong to the Howeitat tribe. In September, two members of the tribe, Abdulilah al-Howeiti, and Abdullah Dukhail al-Howeiti, were handed a 50-year prison term and a 50-year travel ban for supporting their family's refusal to be forcibly evicted from their homes in Tabuk. The tribe and human rights groups have raised their concerns with the companies working on Neom, including an open letter to three consultancies calling on them to cease their engagement "unless and until" adverse human rights impacts were addressed.
