Respected arts and culture executive Michael Lynch has been appointed as Acting Sector Head for Media at Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning Neom mega-city and audiovisual and tourism hub, in the wake of accusations of racism and inappropriate workplace behavior against other top execs on the project.
“Michael Lynch has assumed the role of Acting Sector Head for Media, in addition to his existing responsibilities as the Sector Head of Entertainment and Culture,” read a Neom statement.
Lynch was previously CEO of Sydney Opera House, Chief Executive of London’s South Bank Centre and CEO of the Hong Kong West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
The announcement comes just days after Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Neom project was rocked by an in-depth report published in the Wall Street Journal, levelling accusations of racism, misogyny, and inappropriate workplace behavior against several senior executives in charge of the mega-city’s construction and development.
The WSJ article reported on accusations against multiple execs but gave significant space to allegations tabled against Wayne Borg, Managing Director of Neom Media Industries. The publication said that it had heard multiple audio recordings that featured Borg — a former Fox and Universal exec — making discriminatory and racist comments.
The report sent ripples through the international film and TV industry. Borg, who has been with Neom since its launch in 2019, has been a figurehead and chief advocate for the media industries aspect of project, regularly fronting networking events and speaking on panels at film and TV markets.
Wednesday’s statement did not state whether the execs implicated in the accusations were still in Neom’s employment, but Borg no longer features on the leadership team page of its website.
The Neom statement reiterated that it had taken the allegations “very seriously”.
“We are committed to upholding our Code of Conduct, which sets clear standards for the actions and behaviors of every employee. We do not tolerate breaches of our Code of Conduct and have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination and harassment in all forms,” read the statement.
“We are dedicated to continuing to build a strong and positive culture and an inclusive, respectful, and ethical workplace for all. The very serious allegations that have appeared in the press regarding Neom Senior Executives do not reflect the behavior of our 5,000 employees. The safety and welfare of our workforce are our top priorities, and our Worker Welfare team has strong policies to ensure everyone is treated with dignity, care, and respect, it continued.
“Neom has a strong governance framework, supported by a strict Code of Conduct and multiple channels, including our anonymous SpeakUp portal, where employees can raise concerns. Every concern is handled with the utmost scrutiny and integrity, and we take appropriate actions to address any misconduct.”
Situated in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea, Neom is among a number of ambitious mega-projects being constructed by Saudi Arabia as part of its Vision 2030 strategy aimed at moving its economy away from a reliance on oil.
Comprising a hi-tech, smart city and global media hub as well as tourism facilities, it was originally announced that it would run along a 105-mile (170km) stretch in the desert. Bloomberg reported in April, however, that the project had been scaled back to 1.9 miles (2.5km).
