Throughout our trip in the KSA there was one concept that was all but impossible to miss. This wasn’t sand, neither was it oil, oud, or oases. It was Vision 2030. Wherever we would set foot, cast our eyes, or sip our coffee, some facet of this ambitious socio-economic programme would present itself, either proudly referenced by speakers, boldly advertised on buildings, busses, TV commercials, banners, and elsewhere. ‘But what is this fabled Vision really about?’, I hear you ask, honoured reader. Spare me with a few more moments of your precious time and I’ll present you with my humble understanding of it.

So let’s go back to basics and start at the very beginning. It was the late King Abdullah who is generally credited with ushering in a bunch of new ideas on how the Saudi society and economy should progress. He already saw how maintaining the status quo was not an option. But it was the designation of Mohamad Bin Salman (MBS) as Crown Prince that really kicked things off. In 2016, he introduced an ambitious assortment of policies that were presented under the umbrella term of Vision 2030. The key idea was to diversify the Saudi economy, moving away from oil dependency and towards financial services and technology, open up the Kingdom through visa liberalisation, reorder social structures through gradual female emancipation, and do all that sustainably, to name but a few goals. Oh, and before I forget, one modest envisioned result is to increase the Saudi economy threefold within the next 11 years.

I trust that you may be somewhat taken aback by the sheer optimism and perhaps even audacity of some of these goals, honoured reader. While I share your curiosity and thirst for knowledge, I’m afraid scope precludes me from delving much deeper into personal appraisals and assessments of the various Vision 2030 goals. There is no reason to fret, however. As I learned from a discussion with financial analyst and female entrepreneur Dr. Khlood Al-Dukheil, a priority in the dynamic shift, particularly with regards to the financial sector, is increased corporate governance and transparency. 

Consequently, there is a tremendous amount of information on the Vision and its 12 subsidiary Vision Realization Programs (VRPs) compiled and freely accessible online. So rather than looking at my words for guidance, why don’t you fire up Google’s search engine right after reading this blurb and take a look for yourself? What do you think? Are the multiple commitments made within Vision 2030 feasible? Are they necessary? Or do they not go far enough?

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My name is Phil, I’m originally Austrian but pursued further studies in London and Singapore. I just graduated from an MA programme in International Political Economy. My next step will take me to Beirut where I’ll pursue research at the American University of Beirut’s Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs.