Exec behind $500 billion sustainable paradise complained about worker deaths taking up his time
An urban area with visionary promises of sustainable development, clean energy, and plentiful economic opportunity might sound wonderful, but nothing is ever as wonderful as it seems. And the world’s biggest construction project in Saudi Arabia, a $500 billion Belgium-sized project called Neom, is no exception.
Announced in 2017 with a 2039 opening, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has thrown his weight behind the gargantuan luxury hub and likened it to the pyramids. One report described it as “a built-from-scratch region the size of Massachusetts, typified by sci-fi architecture, an arid ski resort and a laundry list of flashy projects meant to attract a population larger than New York City’s.”
And yet, during an emergency meeting following the tragic deaths of three workers constructing the mega-city, Wayne Borg, a former news executive hired to run Neom’s media division, said: “A whole bunch of people die so we’ve got to have a meeting on a Sunday night,” according to a recording heard by the Wall Street Journal, included in its exclusive, jaw-dropping investigation published Wednesday.
The WSJ reported that Borg also said the project’s blue-collar workers from the region were “f—ing morons” and “that is why white people are at the top of the pecking order.”
A Neom spokesperson told the outlet, “any allegations of wrongdoing and misconduct are thoroughly investigated…If any wrongdoing is substantiated, we take appropriate action.” A representative for Borg did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment; and Borg did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
In a conversation about the three workers’ deaths, which former and current employees attributed to a falling pipe, a collapsed wall, and a mishandling of explosives, Borg said: “You can’t train for stupidity,” according to the Journal. “The white blokes are at the top of the tree.”
Per the Journal, he’s made misogynistic and sexually explicit comments, too—and more racist remarks. After Borg allegedly insulted a Black female employee and he met with human resources, Borg was advised to take six months of personal coaching. What that entails? Who knows. But according to the Journal, he’s continued to make his racist and offensive comments—but behind closed doors.
And Borg isn’t the only exec behaving badly. There’s reportedly a manager with a corruption conviction who has seemingly developed a bond with the prince that’s allowed him to get away with a litany of alleged misconduct, including a physical altercation with a construction manager while building the city. The project has also allegedly been staffed by executives being investigated for embezzlement and a chief executive, Nadhmi al-Nasr, who “berates and belittles employees,” and seems to be aware of that. “I drive everybody like a slave,” Nasr said in one meeting, according to a recording reported by the Journal.
