'F***ing morons': Executive behind $500bn sci-fi city Neom goes on racist rant after death of 3 workers

A top executive associated with Neom, the world's biggest construction project, has come under scrutiny after he went on a racist rant about having his Sunday evening ruined over the death ofthree workers.

A report in Wall Street Journal claimed thatWayne Borg, a former Hollywood executive hired to run Neom’s media division, said the project's blue-collar workers from the Indian subcontinent were“f—ing morons” and “that is why white people" were at the "top of the pecking order".

“A whole bunch of people die so we’ve got to have a meeting on a Sunday night," Borg reportedly said in a recording accessed by the publication.

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“You can’t train for stupidity. The white blokes are at the top of the tree," he added.

Notably, the three workers died from a falling pipe, a collapsing wall and mishandled explosives.

Watch |Gravitas: Saudi Arabia seeks Chinese investment to revive over-ambitious Neom

Quizzed about the allegations against their top executive, Neom in a statement said a proper investigation would be carried out.

“Any allegations of wrongdoing and misconduct are thoroughly investigated,” Neom said. It added: “If any wrongdoing is substantiated, we take appropriate action.”

Workers have alleged that the construction site is rife with unprofessionalism as senior officials and top management frequently berate the workers as well as juniors.

In May this year, a BBC report, citing an ex-intelligence officer, stated that Saudi authorities had permitted the use of lethal force to clear land forthe megaproject.

Watch |Saudi Arabian forces to 'kill' residents to clear land for its futuristic city Neom

What is Neom?

Saudi ArabianCrown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman's dream project of building Neom - a futuristic, zero-carbon city was announced in 2017. The initial plan included vertical layers of buildings for work, living, farming and leisure stretching 170 kilometres into the horizon, with the project completion deadline earmarked in 2030.

However, since then, the project has undergone seismic downsizing and is now limited to 2.4 km. From the initial goal of accommodating 1.5 million residents in 'The Line', the officials now anticipate fewer than 300,000 within the deadlines.

Reports indicate that the project is struggling to raise cash and could be further scaled back amid spiralling costs.

(With inputs from agencies)