The report details how MBS exercises unchecked control over the nearly trillion-dollar PIF, leveraging its economic power to commit human rights violations, including forced evictions and labor exploitation.

Among the most affected by these abuses are marginalized groups, including migrant workers and rural residents, who face severe repercussions from PIF-funded initiatives.

Concerns about transparency and accountability are raised, as most PIF administrators are close allies of MBS, allowing him significant control over the fund without adequate oversight.

Since MBS became first in line to succeed King Salman in 2017, the PIF has grown from $84 billion to approximately $925 billion, reflecting his consolidation of economic power.

HRW recommends significant reforms in PIF governance, including improved transparency, detailed financial disclosures, and ceasing projects associated with human rights abuses.

The PIF is noted as one of the least transparent sovereign wealth funds globally, with its vast wealth starkly contrasting the poverty experienced by many in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the PIF's immense valuation, Saudi Arabia has the highest poverty rate among Gulf Cooperation Council nations, with official figures indicating 13.6% of nationals living in poverty.

Human Rights Watch has released a comprehensive report accusing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of misusing the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to finance vanity projects linked to serious human rights abuses.

Despite a governance framework established in the 2021-2025 program strategy, MBS frequently bypasses established procedures, making unilateral decisions regarding PIF investments.

The report underscores the broader implications of sovereign wealth funds, emphasizing their potential to entrench power in authoritarian regimes and the need for international scrutiny.

The report also revisits the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, linking it to PIF-owned Sky Prime Aviation, which provided the aircraft used by the assassins.

Neither the Saudi government nor the PIF has responded to the allegations made in the HRW report, which calls for businesses to reconsider partnerships with the fund if human rights abuses are identified.