Saudi Arabia’s desire to compete globally and develop the nation is evident by the thorough long-term planning and strategies implemented. In 2016, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched Vision 2030 in hopes to transform the economy, empower women, enhance religious life and improve human capital. The advancement of these factors will reinforce and diversify the economy with a distinctive focus on doing this sustainably. Moving away from oil and towards its citizens as the country’s key resource will prove to be a difficult challenge for a developing country that is currently dependent on oil (especially with large important firms such as Aramco).

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy, whereby the king and the cabinet have executive and legislative power. With the mindset that the future of Saudi Arabia is reliant on the young generation, it is important to have prestigious and ambitious universities to further the knowledge of the nation. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, KAUST, was founded in 2009 with the aim of being a top-notch university attended not only by the brightest Saudi’s but also international students. The 1100 diverse student body is able to make use of the state-of-the-art resources and explore the world of sustainable measures through research centres such as the KAUST Solar centre and Water desalination and reuse centre. Upon arrival at KAUST, it the immense funding and support the university has received from the kingdom is clearly evident through the architecture and resources. The research completed at this school has already proven to be imperative for the future of Saudi: many of the students and faculty members are also taking part in the research of NEOM – a new man-made city by the Red Sea aiming to be environmentally conscious and promote sustainable living. The potential of the younger generation and the effort made by KSA to encourage sustainability can be seen through KAUST.

Saudi ARAMCO as an oil company has a hugely negative impact on the climate due to the nature of the work it carries out. Currently, there is nothing sustainable about its oil drilling. However, the large profits and resources of the firm have allowed for it to carry out sustainable projects with a focus on the environment. For example, the Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary has ensured that the Arabian Oryx, sand gazelles, and ostriches are present again in the eastern Rub’ al-Khali within the sanctuary. The Khurais Wetlands project takes place near Riyadh, a dry area with little water resources. Aramco plans to conserve the groundwater, carry out seawater reverse osmosis, and develop its water conservation measures in order to save irrigation water consumption. Another environmentally project of Aramco is the plantation of 2 million mangrove trees along the gulf coast, to reduce the effects of sandstorms as well as absorb thousands of metric tons of CO2 per year. By implementing these plans with a mission to be more environmentally sustainable, ecological and environmental academic research is supported and advanced through collaboration with individuals from KAUST and Aramco.

The creation of these sustainable projects have already shown tremendous impact on the environment - impressive measures are taken to sustain Saudi’s beautiful environment and counteract the negative effects of the firms on climate change. Developments in carbon management and clean energy technology at Aramco will ensure that despite continuation of numerous oil drilling projects, the consequences and impacts on the environment are minimised. Furthermore, the new and innovative technology ensures that in the future Saudi’s plentiful resources are not depleted.

Through Gateway KSA, I have discovered Saudi Arabia’s incredible potential to grow and develop as a powerful nation state globally. Through my conversations with representatives from Aramco, KAUST, and the Shura council, I however believe that the rapid developments occurring in the Kingdom have mostly been focused on science and technology. It is imperative to sustain Saudi’s rapid development by ensuring that development is equal in all the sectors of Vision 2030- especially in regard to empowerment of women and increasing the living standards for all its citizens. The mindset of society will change over time as the independence of women becomes normalised, hopefully in time required by the 2030 Vision. Further concerns about Vision 2030 consist of how all the development will impact the demands of the youth. Can all these economic and social reforms occur without any increasing demand of political reforms from a better educated and more powerful youth?

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June Derz is a first-year student at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, pursuing a degree in Economics and Politics. With parents from China and Germany, but having grown up in the Netherlands, she considers herself an international citizen.