Saudi Authorities Forcibly Disappear Halima Al-Huwaiti for Resisting NEOM Evictions
In a harrowing case of forced disappearance and human rights abuse, Saudi authorities have detained Halima Al-Huwaiti for over four years without charges, solely for defending her ancestral land against the government’s NEOM mega-city project. Halima, along with several other members of the Al-Huwaiti tribe, was detained in November 2020 after she refused to vacate her home to make way for this ambitious project. The NEOM initiative, promoted as a revolutionary development in the Middle East, has cast aside the rights and futures of local tribes like the Al-Huwaitat, who have lived on these lands for generations.
The Saudi government’s response to the Al-Huwaitat tribe’s resistance has been marked by brutality. In April 2020, Abdul Rahim Al-Huwaiti, a member of the tribe who refused to leave his home, was killed by Saudi security forces during a forced eviction. This incident sparked widespread fear and outrage within the tribe, yet the authorities ignored calls for an investigation into his death. Instead, they initiated a series of arrests and intimidation tactics aimed at quelling dissent. In November 2020, Saudi security forces arrested other members of the tribe, including Abdullah Dakhilallah Abu Taqieh, Shadli Abu Taqieh, and Halima Al-Huwaiti, the wife of another detainee, Abdul Nasser Abu Taqieh. Since then, no information has been made public about Halima’s condition or whereabouts, and she has not been brought before any court or formally charged.
Saudi Arabia’s use of forced disappearances to silence opposition has brought significant anguish to families like Halima’s, who remain in the dark about their loved ones’ fates. Detained in solitary confinement and denied basic legal rights, these detainees endure what is effectively indefinite imprisonment. The case of the Al-Huwaiti tribe exemplifies the Kingdom’s heavy-handed approach under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where dissent is met with detention, disappearance, and even death.
In October 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court handed down death sentences to three Al-Huwaiti men—Shadli Al-Huwaiti, Atta Allah Al-Huwaiti, and Ibrahim Al-Huwaiti—for their refusal to comply with eviction orders. These sentences underscore the Saudi government’s commitment to enforcing the NEOM project at any cost, even if it means erasing entire communities who have lived on these lands for centuries.
Together for Justice condemns the Saudi government’s ongoing mistreatment of the Al-Huwaiti tribe and views it as racial discrimination, forced displacement, and cultural erasure. We urgently call on international human rights organizations and the United Nations to intervene, urging Saudi Arabia to release Halima Al-Huwaiti and all forcibly disappeared tribe members. These individuals deserve justice, not punishment, for their refusal to abandon their heritage and ancestral land.
Furthermore, we implore the international community to secure the Al-Huwaitat tribe’s right to remain on their land without fear of eviction or violence from the authorities. Forced displacement for profit-driven projects like NEOM not only contravenes international law but also violates the fundamental human rights of indigenous communities. It is imperative that Saudi Arabia is held accountable for these violations and that justice is restored for the Al-Huwaiti tribe.
