Gulf citizens powerless in face of megaprojects
Local communities in Saudi Arabia often have no say in the strategic infrastructure projects and long-term economic reforms that directly impact them.
![1212154661 (FILES) A file picture taken on January 6, 2020 during the Dakar 2020 car racing shows a general view of Saudi Arabia's northwestern region, between Neoam and al-Wajh. - A rare revolt by a Saudi tribe has spelt fresh trouble for a planned Red Sea megacity, a lynchpin of the crown princes economic vision already beset by low oil prices. The $500 billion NEOM project, set to be built from scratch along the kingdom's picturesque western coast, is billed as a futuristic cityscape evocative of a sci-fi blockbust](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2020/08/GettyImages-1212154661.jpg/GettyImages-1212154661.jpg?h=3c7c14d6&itok=SGGUGhrK)
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