MBS became crown prince in 2017 and launched Vision 2030.

Vision 2030 aims to diversify the economy away from oil.

Vision 2030 includes NEOM, a tax‑free, visa‑free futuristic city.

Vision 2030 targets 30–100 million tourists by 2030.

Vision 2030 seeks to raise non‑oil revenues and GDP.

Vision 2030 expands entertainment to SR30 bn.

Vision 2030 permits concerts, sports, movies, art events.

Vision 2030 curtails Wahhabi influence by limiting religious police.

Vision 2030 lifts the ban on women driving.

Vision 2030 lets women attend concerts, travel without male approval.

Women’s workforce share rose from 16% to 35% by 2023.

Vision 2030 removes gender segregation; women can leave homes without head coverings.

Religious police now only give awareness campaigns, no enforcement.

Vision 2030 includes anti‑corruption purge and crackdown on dissent.

Vision 2030 implements 85% of UN human‑rights recommendations.

Vision 2030 doubles SMEs, cuts unemployment, boosts tourism spending 93%.

Vision 2030 funds infrastructure, services, non‑oil exports via PIF.

Vision 2030 aims to triple industrial output to SR895 bn by 2030.

Vision 2030 expands venture‑capital ecosystem.

Vision 2030 promotes environmental initiatives for clean air.

MBS became crown prince in 2017 and launched Vision 2030.

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Content: In June, Saudi Arabia, along with two other Gulf states and Egypt, began putting pressure on Qatar on the grounds that Doha was providing financial support for international terrorism.
Saudi Arabia ’ s statements against Qatar could be taken as a joke, given that Riyadh itself has long financed the spread of fundamentalist Salafi Islam, which is often associated with extremism, writes Ayaan Hirsi Ali in an article for The New York Times.
Ivan Shilov IA REGNUM
The Saudis
On the one hand, Saudi Arabia ’ s actions against Qatar can be called a classic example of “whose cow is moaning ”.
On the other hand, Riyadh could use the smokescreen of the diplomatic crisis around Qatar to divert attention from the growing tensions within its own kingdom.
See also: Asia Times: US and China do not face the danger of the “Thucydides trap ”
The newly appointed crown prince of the Saudi throne, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, has promised to modernize the country ’ s economy, which includes measures to diversify the national economy to reduce its dependence on oil prices, expand trade, increase employment and eliminate some restrictions in public life.
However, within Saudi Arabia there are two factors that could put all plans of the crown prince in jeopardy.
First, the crown prince has a rival who can challenge him.
This is the former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef Al Saud, whom in November 2017 Mohammed bin Salman placed under house arrest and froze all his bank accounts.
The current crown prince has taken a very bold step, even by the standards of the royal dynasty.
However, Mohammed bin Nayef, who previously headed the secret intelligence of Saudi Arabia, can be a very dangerous enemy.
Ivan Shilov IA REGNUM
Saudi Arabia
Second, Mohammed bin Salman ’ s grand strategic reform plan, known as Vision 2030, poses a direct threat to the prestige and authority of the Wahhabi clergy in Saudi Arabia.
The clergy have influence, and they have a motive to try to thwart the Crown Prince ’ s plans.
If private enterprise begins to strengthen its position through reforms, the resources and influence of the clergy will decrease, therefore, the opportunities for retaining control over the kingdom will be reduced.
For centuries, the royal family relied on the support of the Wahhabi clergy to ensure the religious legitimacy of the ruling dynasty.
If modernization threatens to destroy the authority of the clergy, how long will it remain submissive to the crown prince?
Earlier, the crown prince made it clear that the influence of the clergy could become an obstacle to economic growth and reduce the dependence of the Saudi economy on oil.
In case of resistance of the clergy, the Crown Prince promised to take appropriate measures.
Most likely, the clergy will begin to openly resist the Westernization of the country with the same zeal with which Saudi Arabia seeks to attract foreign investors.
Since 1973, the Saudi government and its semi-official “charities ” have spent billions of dollars spreading Wahhabi ideology abroad.
The continuation of such a policy would be detrimental to the efforts of the international community to combat radicalization.
Saudi clerics have a powerful social network that provides a direct link to their supporters across the country.
The clergy can use this platform to undermine the plans of the Crown Prince and the position of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
In this regard, there is a risk of fomenting unrest in a country with a high youth unemployment rate.
In an effort to stifle dissent, in September 2017, Saudi Arabia detained several influential clerics who opposed Saudi Arabia ’ s position on Qatar.
In November, the fight continued, only under the guise of anti-corruption purges, in which more than 200 officials, large businessmen and members of the royal family were detained.
See also: “On whom should the US make the main bet in the Middle East? ”
Riyadh
Saudi Arabia ’ s Wahhabi clerics have extensive ties to Islamist organizations around the world.
Qatar can use these ties to discredit the crown prince in the eyes of international public opinion.
As a response to diverting attention from Saudi Arabia, Riyadh may intensify the conflict with Qatar.
The stakes are very high.
If the crown prince manages to carry out modernization, it will strike a blow to radical Islamism.
If modernization plans fail, the country could roll back several decades, continuing to export extremism abroad.
From the point of view of most Middle Eastern political players, any compromise is seen as a disgrace to the country.
Instead of accepting an ultimatum from Saudi Arabia, such as closing the news agency and severing ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar has only strengthened its alliance with Iran and Turkey.
Back in June 2017, the diplomatic crisis around Qatar seemed like a minor event in the Middle East, in 2018 it could trigger a big conflict.

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Content: Reforms marginalize Saudi Arabia ’ s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue
Reforms marginalize Saudi Arabia ’ s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue
The role of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue in Saudi Arabia has diminished after the reforms initiated by the authorities following the accession of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where its role is limited to campaigns to raise awareness of ethics and confront the epidemic of COVID-19 and others after it represented a kind of religious police.
RIYADH – Saudi Arabia ’ s reforms following Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ’ s tenure have increasingly sidelined the role of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue (CPVPV).
The body, which resembles the religious police, had considerable influence and prestige on the Saudi street, where its members closely monitored the application of Islamic law principles in the conservative kingdom before they were effectively stripped of their powers in 2016.
Comprehensive repairs
Ahmed bin Qasim Al-Ghamdi: The greatest mistake of the Commission was that it was following the individual mistakes of the people
Faisal, a Saudi teacher, decided to leave the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in order to preserve its marginalization in recent years, while the Kingdom is witnessing an unprecedented opening coinciding with a campaign of religious and social reforms.
Faisal, a pseudonym, 37, who resigned months ago from the commission, said: “All of our authority has been taken away and we have no clear role at all. ”
The bearded man said in a meeting in eastern Riyadh: “Everything I was working to prevent him became completely legal, so I decided to resign. ”
Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took office in 2017, the kingdom has seen social reforms that include allowing women to drive, allowing concerts, and ending the ban on mixing between men and women.
Faisal, who was wearing a dark cloak, added sarcastically, “In the past there was only one known body in Saudi Arabia, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue...
Today, the most important body is the Entertainment Authority, ” he said, referring to the Entertainment Authority, which was created by Saudi Arabia in May 2016 and is entrusted with managing and organizing various entertainment events that are witnessing a large turnout of both sexes.
Turki, a pseudonym for a former member of the body, said that "the existence of the body has become completely formal."
“We are no longer allowed to intervene and change any behaviors we once considered inappropriate, ” he said, noting that many continue to work“ for the sake of salary only. ”
In the past, the authority had considerable powers, including ensuring that people applied the rules of public decency and prohibited mixing, which included the right to request their personal documents, stalk them and arrest them.
The group ’ s cars roamed the streets, making sure women wore the black cloak exclusively, stalking people in cafes and malls and forcing shops to close during prayers.
Saud Al-Kateb: The work of the Commission has undergone a radical change, its role must be limited
Gradually, the would-be protesters disappeared from the streets, while the area of personal freedoms granted to the population, especially women, increased.
With the reduction of its role in the street, the Commission is finally launching campaigns to raise awareness of ethics, confront the epidemic and warn against seditious people, from digital screens, billboards in the streets and social media platforms.
Many of its members now spend the majority of their time in their offices without touching people in the streets, reflecting its diminished influence in the kingdom, especially among hardliners.
"The commission has become isolated," said a Saudi official, who asked not to be named, pointing to "a significant reduction in the number of its members, especially those who are not qualified to invite."
The exact number of its members is not known, but sources estimate that there are about 5,000 in the kingdom, where more than half of the population is under the age of 35, according to data released in 2020.
The young Saudi woman, who was previously harassed by HTS men for her colorful clothes, is now able to go out without a head covering and even smoke in the street.
The 26-year-old said while smoking with her colleague in central Riyadh during a break from work: “We didn ’ t even think about smoking in the street years ago. ”
“They were going to beat us with bamboo, ” she added, laughing, referring to the thin sticks used by the authority ’ s subordinates to river the people.
Ahmed bin Qassem al-Ghamdi, a former senior official of the commission who was removed from his post in 2015 because of his progressive views, said “the commission ’ s greatest mistake was that it was following people ’ s individual mistakes, ” which he said“ had a negative impact ” on its image.
The head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue, Abdulrahman al-Sindh, admitted in an October interview with the state television station Al-Akhbari that the Commission had previously committed “irregularities. ”
Al-Sindh, a university professor, attributed that the members of the commission were practicing “security issues without any reference, background or prior qualification. ”
He stressed that the Shariah of Muslims does not stipulate that “forbidding evil necessarily means removing evil, ” which is a major change in the body ’ s thinking in the past.
The body, which has long been criticised for its crackdown on women, plans to “recruit women ” into its ranks in the near future, Sindh said.
The head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue admitted that the Commission had committed violations in the past, pointing out that its members were practicing security issues without any reference.
The Saudi writer Saud al-Kateb said that "the work of the Commission has undergone a significant and radical change," noting that "its role must be limited and does not exceed the role of the official regulatory bodies."
It was not clear whether the reduction in the Authority's powers was accompanied by a reduction in its annual budget.
In 2018, the Shura Council overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to merge the body into the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, citing the need for it to continue to fight drugs.
Stéphane Lacroix, a professor at the Institute of Political Science in Paris, ruled out Saudi Arabia ’ s move to disband the commission.
“The body remains a sign of a distinct Saudi identity with which many conservative Saudis are associated.
“The most likely thing is to continue to reposition its role. ”
arabic

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Content: WEF: Experts call for reskilling of global workforce as job losses threaten to outpace growth

WEF’s report predicts that the fastest-growing jobs in the next five years will be in artificial intelligence.
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WEF: Experts call for reskilling of global workforce as job losses threaten to outpace growth

  • WEF Future of Jobs 2023 predicts in next five years 23 percent of jobs will be disrupted
  • Collaboration, self-learning are key to future labor market success, UAE education ministry says

GENEVA: Experts on Tuesday called for urgent reskilling and upskilling of the global workforce, warning that major changes to the world of work in the next few years will see job losses outpace growth.

 Economists, ministers and policymakers gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, on the first day of the World Economic Forum’s “Growth Summit: Jobs and Opportunities for All” to discuss the state of the job market and future opportunities and challenges ahead.

During the event, Saadia Zahidi, managing director at the WEF, argued that looking at macro-trends such as advancement of technology, green transition and shifting supply chain, over the next few years “about a quarter of the jobs that currently exist will be disrupted in some form of the other.”

She said that although some jobs would be lost and others added, the picture “seems manageable, provided that we focus on the reskilling and upskilling of workers. The future of jobs may be disruptive, but it need not be dystopian.”

According to a new report released on Sunday by WEF, within the next five years 23 percent of jobs will be disrupted, with an estimated 83 million roles disappearing and only 69 million emerging, equal to a net decrease of 14 million jobs, or 2 percent of current employment.

The “Future of Jobs 2023” report suggests that while certain sectors such as green transition and localization of supply chains will create new jobs, economic challenges — such as high inflation, slower economic growth and supply shortages — represent the greatest threat.

WEF’s report predicts that the fastest-growing jobs in the next five years will be in artificial intelligence and machine learning while the largest is expected in education, agriculture and digital commerce.

These jobs include technology specialists, sustainability specialists, business intelligence analysts and information security specialists.

But as Kirsten Salyer, head of editorial strategy and thought leadership at WEF pointed out during one of the panels, “the report found that one of the greatest barrier to business transformation is the skill gap.”

Over the past few months, the rapid advancement of generative AI technology has been seen as a threat to the labor market, particularly in the service sector.

However, in reality, the report indicates how technological advancement represents both a challenge and an opportunity and, ultimately, an overall net positive in job creation.

“AI is going to change every job, how we do it, in the service sector, but will not eliminate many jobs,” argued Richard Baldwin, professor of international economics at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

“It is essentially ‘wisdom in a can’ giving more power to all workers, but especially those average workers. I think it would be uplifting for the middle class but would be extremely disruptive in the sense that every job will change.”

“What I say on Twitter all the time is: AI will not take your job, it is somebody using AI that will take your job. So you better learn how to use AI,” Baldwin said.

Human capital development, including reskilling, upskilling and transforming the educational sector to ensure resilience, was one of the central topics of discussion at the WEF summit on Tuesday.

Zahidi was among those who stressed the importance of a better framework to support the transition to the jobs of the future, saying that “governments and businesses must invest in supporting the shift . . . through the education, reskilling and social support structures that can ensure individuals are at the heart of the future of work.”

UAE Minister of Education Ahmad Belhoul Al-Falasi also reiterated the importance of strengthening collaboration between the different entities to better prepare the workforce for the future labor market.

He argued that while it was difficult to predict what skills would be required by the labor market in the future, the focus should be on preparing people to be lifelong learners, highly adaptable, and aware that their jobs will drastically change.

Al-Falasi talked about how his country was moving toward “instilling that capacity of self-learning much earlier in the process.”

“You want to push that responsibility more to the students by allowing them to take choices at an early age and allowing them to self-learn at a younger age,” he said.

Al-Falasi said that the proliferation of digital technology has made it easier to provide digital learning content.

Many of the discussions also turned to the importance of ensuring jobs that dignify and protect the rights of workers.

Younes Sekkouri, Morocco’s minister of economic inclusion, small business, employment and skills, stressed the importance of considering not only skills but also the added value that jobs brought to people.

He said that talent retention would be a key challenge for policymakers and businesses to address, particularly in developing countries.

The WEF is an international non-governmental organization committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation.

Each year, the WEF hosts two major events: the Annual Meeting and the Growth Summit, where global leaders from business, government and civil society convene to discuss some of the world’s most pressing issues.

The 2023 Growth Summit brings together experts from diverse sectors to discuss three core themes: Enabling resilient growth, developing human capital, and accelerating economic equity.

Saudi PMI hits 59.6 in April as non-oil business activities improve

Updated 27 min 10 sec ago

Saudi PMI hits 59.6 in April as non-oil business activities improve

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s overall non-oil business activities witnessed an improvement in April, as strong domestic demand triggered an increase in new orders at the fastest rate since September 2014, an economy tracker revealed.

The latest Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index report, formerly known as the S&P Global Saudi Arabia PMI, revealed that the Kingdom’s PMI went up to 59.6 in April from 58.7 in March. This is fractionally lower than the eight-year peak in February, when the metric hit 59.8.

According to the index, PMI readings above the 50-mark show non-oil private sector growth, while those below 50 signal contraction.

Naif Al-Ghaith, the chief economist at Riyad Bank, said: “April PMI data highlighted another steep expansion of business activity across the Kingdom’s non-oil private sector economy. We have witnessed rising tourism numbers, higher consumer spending and new business opportunities related to major infrastructure projects.”

“Moreover, long-term business expansion plans have made the rate of job creation slightly stronger than seen on average in the first quarter of 2023,” he added.

According to the report, job creation continued in April, as signaled by a rise in total employment numbers for the 13th month in a row.

World Economic Forum report: 36 percent of experts expect weak economic growth in MENA

Updated 02 May 2023

World Economic Forum report: 36 percent of experts expect weak economic growth in MENA

  • Chief economists surveyed for forum’s latest Outlook report were evenly split on the question of whether or not there is likely to be a global recession this year
  • Although growth expectations have improved since the previous report in January, but they vary wildly across regions with Asia displaying the greatest potential

DUBAI: Experts are evenly divided on their economic predictions for the near future, in particular the prospects of a global recession this year: 45 percent of those surveyed said it is likely and the same proportion said it is unlikely, according to the latest Chief Economists Outlook report by the World Economic Forum.

“The latest edition of the Outlook highlights the uncertainty of current economic developments,” said Saadia Zahidi, the forum’s managing director.

The May 2023 edition of the quarterly report contained some signs of emerging optimism but the disruption in the banking industry this year has adversely affected global prospects. Almost 80 percent of chief economists believe central banks face a trade-off between managing inflation and maintaining the stability of the financial sector, and a similar percentage expect central banks to struggle to reach their inflation targets.

Although a majority (69 percent) view the recent disruption of the financial sector as an isolated episode rather than a systemic issue, they nevertheless anticipate further bank failures this year.

Since the release of the previous Outlook report in January, growth expectations have firmed up but vary widely across regions. Asia is anticipated to experience the strongest rebound, with China playing a significant role in its recovery.

In fact, the vast majority of chief economists expect a significant rebound this year in China. And more than 90 percent expect at least moderate growth in both East Asia and Pacific, and South Asia.

The outlook for other parts of the world is less optimistic, with 75 percent of chief economists expecting weak or very weak growth in Europe, and more than half expecting weak growth in Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa.

The predictions for the Middle East and North Africa region are mixed, with 36 percent of respondents expecting weak growth, 32 percent hopeful of strong growth, and 32 percent predicting moderate growth.

The regional prospects have been affected by the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production, according to the report. This is due, in part, to the resulting revision of the International Monetary Fund’s forecasts for gross domestic product in Saudi Arabia, which predict a steep decline from 8.7 percent growth in 2022 to 3.1 percent in 2023.

Although views on growth in the US have become more optimistic since January, the chief economists remain evenly split on the degree, with half expecting moderate or strong growth and half expecting weak or very weak growth.

The rising cost of living and inflation rates around the world have caused concern among economists for some time now, and the report confirms that this remains the case, with 76 percent saying they expect the cost of living to remain high in many countries.

The cost-of-living crisis is particularly acute in some developing economies, especially those in which domestic price dynamics are exacerbated by currency depreciation. In the Middle East and Central Asia, for example, food prices shot up by 46 percent between January 2020 and January 2023.

Meanwhile, 52 percent of economists expect inflation to run high in the MENA region this year, while 39 percent predict moderate rates.

The economists also expect inflation to be an issue in most of the developed world, with 90 percent expecting rates to be high or very high this year in Europe, and 68 percent in the US. China is the only exception, with only 14 percent of economist predicting high inflation in the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains around the world, forcing businesses and governments to rethink strategies and business models, and the chief economists overwhelmingly believe global supply chains will continue to evolve.

The changes they think are most likely as part of this reconfiguration include: adaption to geopolitical fault lines (94 percent); the prioritization of resilience over efficiency (91 percent); diversification of suppliers (84 percent); and an increased focus on environmental sustainability (77 percent).

China in particular is expected to be affected by this reshaping of supply chains, with 69 percent of chief economists expecting a somewhat negative effect on the nation’s economic prospects.

The changes are also expected to have some effects on other regions, although not as significant as the impact on China and mostly positive. The MENA region, for example, can expect somewhat positive effects, according to 31 percent of economists.

“Labor markets are proving resilient for now but growth remains sluggish, global tensions are deepening, and the cost of living remains acute in many countries,” Zahidi concluded.

“These results confirm the urgent need for both short-term global policy coordination as well as longer-term cooperation around a new framework for growth that will hardwire inclusion, sustainability and resilience into economic policy.”

Saudi Tourism Authority signs MoU with Visa to develop region’s first tourism data lab

Updated 02 May 2023

Saudi Tourism Authority signs MoU with Visa to develop region’s first tourism data lab

RIYADH: A first-of-its-kind tourism data lab is set for the Middle East after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with global digital payment solution provider Visa to travel trends insights.

Saudi Tourism Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding with the financial services company to explore innovative ways to enhance the visitor experience and advance the Kingdom’s hospitality industry.

The partnership will be supported by the payment database VisaNet, which delivers a variety of data on incoming tourists and substantial information on how governments can maximize their cashless approach, the press release added.

The collaboration is in line with Saudi Arabia’s National Tourism Strategy, which seeks to attract 100 million visitors by 2030.

Abdulkarim Aldarwish, president of Middle East and Africa markets at STA, said: “The agreement with Visa, the world leader in digital payments, confirms that the Saudi Tourism Authority is keen to enhance its capabilities by providing, exchanging, and analyzing data as well as offering products and promotional package programs that improve the experience of tourists and attract more segments from the main markets in the region.”

The MoU, signed at the Arabian Travel Market 2023 being held in Dubai, will also look into options to deploy Visa’s digital payments solutions and exclusive packages, according to a press release.

“Saudi Arabia is fast emerging as a tourism hub with diverse and enriching experiences awaiting visitors. The industry is also a pivotal pillar in achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to diversify the economy and create new job opportunities,” said Walter Lironi, senior vice president for Visa consulting and analytics for the central Europe, Middle East, and Africa region.

He added that the company is pleased to enter this partnership with STA as it will allow them to “explore multiple pathways ... (to) enhance the tourism experience of visitors to Saudi Arabia and support the government’s tourism ambition.”

One of the fastest-growing destinations in the region, Saudi Arabia has been investing substantial sums to upgrade the country’s tourism infrastructure while launching new projects to attract travelers from across the world.

During a monthly meeting with citizens in February, the Minister of Tourism Ahmed bin Aqil Al-Khatib revealed that Saudi Arabia’s tourism spending surged 93 percent in 2022 to hit SR185 billion ($50 billion), up from SR95.6 billion the year before.

Tourism and venture capital play key roles in Vision 2030 strategy, says Saudi minister

Updated 02 May 2023

Tourism and venture capital play key roles in Vision 2030 strategy, says Saudi minister

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will not “shy away” from boosting its tourism sector as it seeks to become a global hub for travelers, one of the Kingdom’s ministers has pledged.

Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim talked up Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification ambitions, also identifying the venture capital sector as ripe for development.

The move is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategic plan launched in 2016 to reduce the Kingdom’s reliance on oil exports and diversify its economy by developing and expanding into new industries and sectors.

Tourism is a key part of that, with Saudi Arabia aiming to get 100 million visitors by 2030.

“We won’t shy away from investing in tourism and tourism-related sectors. These are sectors that did not exist in the past, and we’re trying to catch up,” said Al-Ibrahim, according to Bloomberg.

He also said that Saudi Arabia has a “very large and rapidly growing venture capital ecosystem,” noting that they still have a “long way” to go, but it is something the Kingdom prioritizes.

Saudi Arabia’s attempt to diversify its economy beyond oil coincides with new initiatives to attract foreign investment and workers.

It is part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambition to open the country to global markets.

During the 6th edition of the Future Investment Initiative forum held in Riyadh in October 2022, the minister noted that Saudi Arabia would have an industrial base compatible with all the requirements of the fourth industrial revolution as the Kingdom increases its efforts to move away from oil as a dominant source of income.

Referred to as Industry 4.0, the revolution is a new phase of global industrialization in which robotics, cloud computing, and sensors are employed to boost manufacturing facility productivity.

“Our long-term economic challenge is to diversify our source of growth and Vision 2030, and everything you see here is for us to diversify our economy and to give it a stronger, more resilient structure,” he told Arab News on the sideline of the FII.

According to the International Monetary Fund, Saudi Arabia will remain the fastest-growing economy in the G20, despite the turmoil caused by rising inflation and soaring interest rates.

Closing bell: Saudi bourse continues downward trend amid economic uncertainties

Updated 02 May 2023

Closing bell: Saudi bourse continues downward trend amid economic uncertainties

RIYADH: The Tadawul All Share Index continued its downward trend on Tuesday, losing 67 points, or 0.59 percent, to close at 11,218.61, primarily driven by expectations of interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve and dropping oil prices.

While the parallel market Nomu also dropped 299.51 points to close at 20,863.29, the MSCI Tadawul Index slightly gained 0.13 percent to 1,521.24.

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index on Tuesday was SR5.52 billion ($1.47 billion).

On Tuesday, Brent crude dropped $0.26, or 0.33 percent, to $79.05 a barrel at 3:45 p.m. Saudi time, while US West Texas Intermediate crude slid $0.27, or 0.36 percent, to $75.39.

The top performer of the day was Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Co., whose share prices surged 5.45 percent to SR294.

Other top performers of the day were City Cement Co. and City Cement Co., whose share prices increased 3.98 percent and 2.86 percent, respectively.

Saudi Vitrified Clay Pipes Co. was the worst performer of the day. The company’s share prices slipped by 2.88 percent to SR45.55.

On the announcements front, Riyad Bank, revealed that its net profit for the first quarter of 2023 advanced 30 percent to SR2.01 billion, compared to SR1.55 billion in the same period of 2022.

In a statement to Tadawul, the financial institution attributed the rise in net profit to an increase in total operating income, despite facing an uptick in operating expenses.

Alinma Bank also announced its financial results for the first quarter on Tuesday. The bank posted a net profit of SR969.9 million, up 17.61 percent compared to the same quarter in 2022.

Yamama Cement Co. revealed its year-on-year net profit almost quadrupled in the first quarter of the year to SR112.4 million compared to SR29.6 million in the same period in 2022.

However, this did represent a quarter-on-quarter drop of 16.2 percent, as the company’s net earnings in the preceding three months were SR134.15 million.

Meanwhile, Jahez International Co. for Information System Technology announced it had signed an extension for the share purchase agreement to acquire The Chefz SPV, as the original agreement period has expired.

The company informed the Saudi Stock Exchange that the signing parties have agreed to extend the share purchase agreement until July 31, 2023.

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The Story of Three Saudi Sisters: Detained, Refugee, and Banned from Traveling
7 March 2024
Saudi feminist activist Faz al-Otaibi has become a political refugee in Scotland as contact with her sister Manahil, who has been detained for more than a year, has been cut off and their older sister Mariam faces restrictions related to her ability to work or travel outside the kingdom.
https: / / p.dw.com / p / 4dHIo
The three sisters, Foz, Manahil and Mariam, are known for their bold liberal views and opposition to Saudi Arabia ’ s women-related laws, and have hundreds of thousands of followers on various social media sites, which have cost them legal prosecutions that amount to jail time.
The youngest, Manahil, 29, a boxer and travel enthusiast with more than 55,000 followers on the X platform, was arrested in November 2022 after accusing her of leading a “propaganda campaign to incite Saudi girls to disrespect religious principles and rebel against the customs and traditions of society, ” according to court documents seen by AFP.
Her sister, Foz, was able to leave the country before her arrest and then travel and settle in Scotland, where she was granted political asylum.
Fawz, 32, who has 2.5 million followers on Snapchat, told AFP: “When Saudi Arabia decided to open up socially, it also decided to take revenge on all women ’ s rights activists. ”
It considers that the authority “wants to empower a certain group that is under its control and does not object to anything. ”
“It is unfortunate that International Women ’ s Day is coming and there are women ’ s rights defenders who are persecuted or in prison in Saudi Arabia. ”
Repair or Trap?
At least 52 women are in Saudi prisons, among at least 122 women arrested since 2015 in freedom of speech cases, including PhD student Salma al-Shehab sentenced to 27 years in prison, according to a report by the Berlin-based European-Saudi Human Rights Organization.
Since Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came to power in 2017, the ban on women driving, as well as laws requiring gender segregation in public places and the wearing of black abayas, have been lifted, and women can now leave without a headscarf.
However, some human rights activists question the depth of the reforms, stressing that women have been trapped in a wider campaign of arrests targeting government critics.
Saudi Arabia passed a personal status law that went into effect in June, which Riyadh described as “progressive ” but was criticized for containing what Human Rights Watch described as“ discriminatory provisions against women in relation to marriage, divorce, custody and guardianship of children, ” which Amnesty International also found.
Reporters - Ladies DJs in Saudi Arabia
The mandate of men over women
Manahil was one of the strongest opponents of this law, calling for the abolition of male guardianship over women, prompting the prosecution to accuse her of "calling for liberation and the abolition of guardianship."
“Manahil was happy with the crumbs of freedom that had been achieved, but she was persecuted and imprisoned simply for opposing and calling for more freedom for women, ” she says.
Manahil has not yet been convicted or sentenced, and Amnesty International last month accused the Saudi authorities of subjecting her to “enforced disappearance. ”
“We ’ re not political opponents, but the government has been very violent with us, ” she says, referring to what happened to their 36-year-old sister Maryam, who has more than 100,000 followers on the X platform.
Maryam, a former shopkeeper, is a prominent advocate for ending male guardianship in the kingdom and was previously detained in 2017 for 104 days for her feminist activism.
She is currently subject to a travel ban as well as restrictions on her exercise of freedom of expression in public cases, according to her sister and Amnesty International.
Foz asserts that “Mary ’ s life is almost frozen with the impossibility of her work.
No one is hiring her because of her business history and she can ’ t open a commercial register for any activity. ”
Saudi authorities did not respond to an AFP request for comment on the allegations.
"Dark and mysterious words."
This contrasts with the dramatic rise in the proportion of working women from 16% in 2016 to 35% by the end of 2023 in Saudi Arabia.
From the moment they get off the plane, visitors to the kingdom notice this new reality and in many cases, their passports are stamped by Saudi security agents who speak fluent English and greet them with a big smile.
During their stay, visitors see women driving private taxis, others working in garages and even fast train drivers taking pilgrims to Mecca.
Lina Al-Hathloul, head of communications at the London-based ALQST Foundation for Human Rights, said: “The case of the Otaibi sisters reveals the truth behind the narrative of women ’ s rights reforms in Saudi Arabia. ”
“In the absence of any clear guidelines or transparency, women are left without knowing where the boundaries lie and what the potential consequences may be for their personal choices. ”
“These mixed messages are a feature of broader Saudi women ’ s rights reforms. ”
The Public Prosecution accused the sisters Manahil and Win of “producing content in which they profess disobedience and incite girls to disrespect religious principles and harm public order and morals. ”
However, Fawz considers this a “dark talk ” that runs counter to“ any call for real reform ” in the kingdom.
“The authorities destroyed us, separated us and dispersed our family between a detainee, a refugee and a travel ban.
We live in fear and family tragedy. ”
S / F (AFP)

Title:

Content: After five years in power, Prince Mohammed bin Salman is back on the international stage with Biden ’ s visit.
RIYADH (AFP) - Five years after becoming crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman is poised to reassert his position internationally once again, with US President Joe Biden visiting the region and having long been sidelined by the West over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.
Announcement
Biden's visit, which comes amid the war in Ukraine and the associated high energy prices, completes Mohammed bin Salman, 36, from his isolation, after visits to the kingdom by the leaders of France, Britain and Turkey.
On June 21, 2017, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, 86, named his son Mohammed as crown prince, and the latter immediately began a campaign of unprecedented economic and social reforms, but at the same time, he suppressed all opposition and tightened his grip on the country.
The crown prince has become the de facto ruler of the kingdom, one of the world ’ s largest oil exporters, in a reform process that has turned all aspects of life in the kingdom upside down.
But Khashoggi ’ s killing has cast such a shadow over Prince Mohammed ’ s tenure that Biden ’ s visit next month to Saudi Arabia, once a traditional trip for U.S. leaders, is highly controversial.
Khashoggi, who was close to Saudi power before becoming a critic of the crown prince, was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 and dismembered by Saudis from the kingdom.
A US intelligence report concluded that Prince Mohammed approved the arrest or killing of Khashoggi.
The Saudi crown prince denies the accusations.
After the visits of French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Biden ’ s visit is a new recognition of the status of the Saudi crown prince.
Yasmine Farouk of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace believes that Washington has been the center of opposition to Mohammed bin Salman in terms of public official statements and mobilization in the West.
"This is exactly what Mohammed bin Salman has wanted for the past year and a half: a meeting and a photo with Biden as his counterpart," a diplomat living in Riyadh told AFP.
Women behind the wheel
Today, Prince Mohammed bin Salman has fingerprints in all the policies of the Kingdom and its society.
His reforms included abolishing the requirement for women to wear the black abaya and removing restrictions on their movements without the consent of their parents.
The wearing of the abaya and headscarf is now optional.
Women were also allowed to attend concerts and sporting events.
In 2018, they were finally allowed to drive.
The kingdom has also relaxed its guardianship system, allowing women to issue passports and travel outside the country without the consent of their male relatives.
This has contributed to the entry of women into the workforce, which has had a positive impact on the economy.
However, Saudi Arabia ’ s approach to women ’ s issues remains incomplete, especially with regard to those who dare to oppose it.
In 2018, authorities arrested dozens of women human rights defenders, most of them just a month before the women ’ s driving ban was lifted, including those who dared to challenge the driving ban.
In November 2017, authorities arrested dozens of princes and senior officials for questioning over corruption or disloyalty at the luxury Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh.
Hussein Ibish, of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said Prince Mohammed "linked his comprehensive cultural, social and artistic revolution...
with a dramatic concentration of political power "in his hand.
"Close all obvious sources of direct opposition in order to control" the country, he said.
Expanding beyond borders
Prince Mohammed has also made his mark on his country ’ s foreign policy.
Two months after his father, King Salman, ascended the throne, and while he was defense minister, he pushed for military intervention in Yemen.
Riyadh formed a military coalition of several countries that carried out this intervention to support government forces against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
As a result of the war, Yemen is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people directly or because of its aftermath, and pushed millions to the brink of famine, according to the United Nations.
Saudi Arabia has come under criticism, including from the United States, over the conflict, particularly when coalition air strikes have killed civilians.
In a sign of its desire to get out of the Yemeni quagmire, Saudi Arabia helped broker a truce in Yemen that began in April.
The boycott of Qatar, announced three weeks before Prince Mohammed takes office on June 21, was also a manifestation of Saudi foreign policy influenced by bin Salman ’ s influence.
But analysts say the kingdom has finally begun to adopt a conciliatory approach in the region, citing, for example, its involvement in direct talks with Iran, its regional rival, and Prince Mohammed ’ s recent statement that Israel is a “potential ally ” of his country amid regular reports of Saudi-Israeli rapprochement.
The most important element of Prince Mohammed ’ s Vision 2030 is reshaping his country ’ s oil-dependent economy.
The plan, which includes attracting about 30 million foreign tourists a year by 2030, is based on mega projects such as NEOM, the futuristic $500 billion science-fiction city with flying taxis and working robots.
Yasmine Farooq says Mohammed bin Salman “is the center of power (behind the change), but he has done nothing that was not already up for discussion in the public sphere. ”
Christian Ulrichsen, an analyst at Rice University's James Baker Institute, said: "Having achieved much of the argument that only he can change Saudi Arabia by 2030, the next several years will be crucial for Mohammed bin Salman and depend on him achieving tangible results that meet expectations."

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 aims to diversify the economy away from oil.

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Content: 646 hits
Khobar Code: 60921
Publication date: 27 November 2021
You may know that the net wealth in the world is transferred from the poor countries to the big rich countries, and not on the contrary, we are in a world where the poor spend on the rich, and as it is said that the poor are hungry only by what is enjoyed by the rich, and if this looting and armies of the rich in the countries of the poor, this looting is called "traditional colonialism". “New Mara ”, and perhaps this so-called“ neo-colonialism ” is better to call it the project of the new future “NEOM ”.
NEOM, which presents itself as a change that no one has dared to go through before, is a project within the Vision 2030 announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, among the so-called reform projects that his critics say are flirting with the West, this project is based on the construction of a new city stretching from Ras Sheikh Hamid and extending on the Gulf of Aqaba, allowing the overlap between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. It depends on the freedom of the market and has no taxes or customs and does not even need a visa, that is, it is just a project of a new liberal state, which contributes to the impact on the systems of the Arab countries surrounding it, and it is not surprising the goal of this project is an Arabic version of the book "The New Middle East" by Shimon Peres.
In order to reconstruct the project of the new future, or neo-colonialism, the local armies, like the colonial armies, arrested and killed anyone who tweets outside the squadron or even those who do not openly support him by the Saudi ruler, in scenes reminiscent of what the colonists of America did when they discovered its red Indians and indigenous people, or what the Zionist gangs did to the Palestinians when they founded it. Their usurping entity.
On the Neom road, the blood of Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti, who may not know many that he studied geophysics at King Saud University, and was a resident of that area where the project is built and his family inhabited it for hundreds of years, and this blood only flowed because he refused the displacement imposed by the Saudi ruler on the people of his region, this refusal and adherence to the land cost his life.
In addition to Abdul Rahim al-Huweiti, we find Dr. Abdulaziz al-Dakhil, who was arrested several times by the Saudi authorities because of his differences of opinion with the Saudi rulers, and because of his proposals that opened the door for the Saudi people to reconsider their rulers.
Who is Abdulaziz Aldakhil?
The son of Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Dakhil, in a tweet on Twitter, launched an important definition in the history of his father, he is one of the first citizens to obtain a doctorate in economics, and has authored several books considered a reference in the Saudi economy. After obtaining his doctorate, Al-Dakhil was appointed to the Ministry of Finance, and rose to the position of Undersecretary for Investment Affairs, where he succeeded in revolutionizing Saudi investment. Abdul Hakim Abdul Aziz Al-Dakhil confirmed that his father was keen to serve the country when he joined the Ministry of Finance, but when he was shocked by the amount of money that disappeared from the state treasury, he thought that he could address the problem in regular ways within the ministry. The machine.
After the spread of the means of communication, his messages are no longer directed specifically to the king, but he began to give lectures to reach everyone who owns a means of communication, which led to the resentment of the Saudi crown prince, his house was raided and arrested with his son and confiscated all his documents, papers and devices. Disposition of immovable property.
After that, Dr. Al-Dakhil continued his positions, but avoided direct confrontation until the death of Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid, a founding member of the Association for Civil and Political Rights in Saudi Arabia (ACPRA), wrote a tweet of condolences, he was arrested under King Mohammed bin Salman, and was subjected to injustice and physical harm and was not allowed to communicate with his family and was absent from them.
Dr. Dakhil said in an interview on Gulf TV that this project is not optimal for the economy of this country, it does not solve the fundamental problem, which lies in the absence of labor productivity, and considered that this project is only a gathering of several countries, and the contribution of each country initiative, but the implementation of the project is not related to initiatives, He stressed that without the development of the labor force in Saudi Arabia, no project can cause a real renaissance in the Saudi economy.
Dr. Abdul Aziz has been trying to address successive Crown Princes in his life, in order to present them with encouraging plans for the economies of the Saudi state, and after feeling the imminent danger and indifference to his opinion, he directed his speech to the people, and stated in an interview with the journalist Mohammed Al-Rabiah, that the distribution of oil wealth flows on what he likened to a pyramid, at the top of the pyramid. 10% of the population of Saudi Arabia, and this head acquires 90% of the oil wealth because of its direct flow, and the returns of this wealth decline with the descent in the layers of the pyramid, up to the last layer, which is the people who have nothing of this wealth.
Dr. Abdul Aziz also shows in an interview on CNBC channel his opinion on the allocation of Aramco, where he explains that the revenues of this company is all that Saudi Arabia owns, and says that the privatization of Aramco and the sale of shares does not enter foreign currencies to Saudi Arabia, but comes out of it the most important thing, which is oil, and this profit in privatization does not belong to the Saudi state, but to shareholders in this company. This is what Saudi Arabia lacks, so this company, instead of being closed to a handful of senior leaders or a “black box, ” as he described it, should open up to the Saudi people in order to boost productivity and increase job opportunities, and not be consumed by the present generation without thinking about future generations.
What is Aramco?
Saudi Aramco is a Saudi national company operating in the fields of oil, natural gas, petrochemicals and related works of exploration, production, refining, distribution, shipping and marketing. It is a global integrated company that was nationalized in 1988, headquartered in Dhahran, and is the largest company in the world by market value. The Saudi state.
In the 2030 plan of the Saudi King Mohammed bin Salman, a decision to sell 5% of the company Aramco and put it for public subscription, and therefore this decision provides for the sale of shares of the company Aramco to the owners of capital, in other words, the sale of crude oil in the land to shareholders. Zamil.
Who is Issam Al-Zamil?
Essam Al-Zamil is a prominent Saudi economist, researcher and economic analyst. He is a writer in several Saudi, Arab and international newspapers and magazines. He was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the most prominent economic figures in the Kingdom. He was honored by King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his son in 2014 as one of the pioneers of technology in the Kingdom. His economic views are on his personal blog, which about three years ago saw about 3 million visitors.
Born in Dammam in 1979, Zamil earned a bachelor ’ s degree in chemical engineering from Tulane University in 2002, and then worked as an engineer for and contributed to the development of Aramco, the world ’ s largest oil producer.
He then resigned from his government position, and over the years established many sites, programs, applications and services on the Internet, such as Awamer site, which was founded by Zamil of sites that provide direct service to investors, a service for automatic trading of shares traded on the Saudi Stock Exchange.
His views were criticized by the ruling authorities for his involvement in sensitive economic and public files, including the growing poverty and unemployment rates in Saudi Arabia, the richest country in the region and the largest oil producer in the world, as well as his criticism of the government ’ s decision to implement the privatization policy and sell state assets. Al-Zamil was critical of government figures that he saw as unrealistic and lacking credibility, such as unemployment, poverty and others.
He also called for the need to prepare Saudis for the labor market, including convincing them to work in handicrafts and handicrafts, spreading the culture of self-employment among national workers and rehabilitating them so that they are suitable for available job opportunities, as well as linking universities to the labor market. Therefore, he has always called for the reform of the structural problems of the economy, focusing on the development of the industrial sector as the first generator of the labor market, increasing domestic production, limiting imports and preserving foreign reserves.
Authorities arrested him in September 2017, as part of a group that included prominent scholars, opinion leaders and clerics. At first, no one knew the charges against al-Zamil, but the media leaked flimsy charges, from belonging to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, abusing social media sites, and abusing state institutions, to inciting protests. The government, questioning the integrity of the judiciary, as well as meeting foreign diplomats and providing them with information and analysis on the movement taking place in Saudi Arabia without informing the official authorities, but the fact that Zamil ’ s arrest came against the backdrop of his criticism of Mohammed bin Salman ’ s vision for economic reform, which was titled “Vision 2030 ”. He warned in a video on the Snapchat application that the sale of these shares will undoubtedly mean the sale of crude oil underground, and said that this oil belongs to the whole people and can not take this decision without the approval of everyone, as Zamil predicted the failure of the Aramco IPO, the backbone of the Vision 2030 adopted by Mohammed bin Salman, which has already happened, as the share offering faltered several times in the period from 2016 to 2019. Opinion on offering them only in domestic markets, and postponing the offering in international markets indefinitely.
He pointed out that the sale of these shares can be useful in one case, which is that after the sale of these shares, profits are taken from this sale, and operated in the development of industries in the Saudi state and thus there is diversification in its economic activities, which means that the state away from full dependence in its economy on oil wealth and dependence on productive and industrial forces.
Al-Zamil ’ s problem is that he did not join the chorus of the ruling regime and the aspirants of the Vision 2030 plan for economic reform, as he always relied on official figures and realistic analyses, without deceiving public opinion by adopting government decisions and cheering them. Reform and upgrade his country ’ s economy to become one of the major countries, especially with the Kingdom ’ s huge financial and oil potential.
In conclusion, if the Saudi regime had heard from national experts what plunged the economy into severe problems and crises raised the unemployment rate to more than 15% of the labor force, poverty rates to nearly 25% according to unofficial figures, and the successive crises prompted the government to expand foreign debt, withdraw quickly from foreign reserves and public reserves, increase the prices of major commodities including gasoline, gas, electricity and water. Delaying the implementation of major development and investment projects.
Essam Al-Zamil and Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Dakhil are two researchers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who have been providing this country with a lot of development and a lot of change, both at the economic levels, and at the technological and research levels. Internal industries and the activation of labor, in addition to making the Saudi economy dependent on internal industries without relying purely on oil wealth.
It is not unusual for an Arab government to arrest a person for expressing an opinion on its policies, but it is strange that these authorities return and take those views without releasing the detainee, but even worse that they charge him and try him in secret.
Author: Marwa Qubaisi
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Content: The Saudi economy.
Empowerment and sustainability
|
In order to develop and diversify the economy, renew its effective tools and reduce dependence on oil, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched "Vision 2030" based on several economic and financial reforms, which aimed to transform the structure of the Saudi economy into a diversified and sustainable economy based on enhancing productivity, raising the contribution of the private sector, and empowering the third sector.
During its modern era, the Saudi economy has witnessed a diversified growth in many sectors, taking advantage of the Kingdom ’ s natural resources and its distinctive geographical and cultural location.
This growth has built a solid economic base, becoming one of the top 20 global economies and an active member of the G20, and one of the key players in the global economy and oil markets, supported by a strong financial system, an efficient and stable banking sector, and giant government companies based on qualified national cadres.
Over the past years, the Kingdom has also witnessed structural reforms on the economic and financial side, which promotes raising economic growth rates while maintaining financial stability and sustainability.
This is evident in the improvement of the business environment in the country, the continuous endeavor to enable the private sector to support economic diversification by improving the business environment and overcoming obstacles to make it more attractive, in addition to investing in previously untapped sectors, as well as improving the investment environment and increasing its attractiveness to local and foreign investors.
In this context, the Cabinet renewed its determination to continue implementing economic initiatives and reforms to achieve the objectives of Vision 2030. The financial indicators for the first quarter of this year came in accordance with all plans set before, and confirms the strength of the public finances and its ability to implement its obligations on time. In the first quarter of this year, which exceeds the forecast of average revenues estimated in each quarter by 261.25 billion riyals, "General revenues were estimated at 1045 billion riyals," which means that revenues have increased by 6.41% from the estimate, compared to that 220.5 billion riyals were spent in the first quarter of this year, while the estimated for each quarter at an average of 238.75 billion riyals. During the first quarter of the estimated average of 7.64 percent, all of which resulted in a surplus in public finances of 57.5 billion riyals during the first quarter of this year, and the budget of 2022 was estimated to have a surplus for the fiscal year as a whole of 90 billion riyals.
There is no doubt that the figures speak for themselves, these indicators that indicate the strength of public finances were not only the result of the rise in oil prices, but also the interaction of the data of the new Saudi economic equation diversified, oil is an important factor but not absolutely, and the performance of public finances on non-oil revenues has improved strongly and continuously during the recent indicators. The vision, with all the details of its programs and initiatives, is the most appropriate model for the Saudi reality so far.
Since the launch of the vision, the Kingdom has succeeded in implementing several supporting initiatives and structural reforms to enable economic transformation. This transformation included several major efforts focused on a sectoral dimension, including enhancing local content and national industry, launching and developing promising economic sectors, and an enabling dimension aimed at maximizing the role of the private sector and SMEs, and enhancing the sustainability of public finances.
These structural shifts have contributed to the Kingdom ’ s economy ’ s ability to steadily weather the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The pace of this structural transformation towards sustainable economic growth is expected to continue in the coming years, especially in light of a number of investment and giant initiatives, under the umbrella of the Public Investment Fund and leading companies.
It is also expected that the pace of localization of knowledge and innovative technologies will accelerate.
Since the collapse of oil prices in 2015, the Kingdom did not stand idly by in front of the reality of the oil market, but contributed under the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and great efforts and supervision and follow-up of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in re-engineering the market and its governance to get back on its feet quickly and overcome the crisis. The market is even on the most difficult days, such as during the health crisis and the war crisis in Ukraine.
In contrast, Saudi Arabia has worked on an economic reform model from within that focuses on issues that play an important role in long-term growth, such as human capital development, knowledge economy, research and development, and innovation, while recognizing the importance of saving and capital accumulation. I came out of the pandemic with record growth.
It should be noted here that the preliminary statement of the Ministry of Finance on the 2022 budget said that the non-oil sector has grown by 8.4%, and is the best since the second quarter of 2011 (i.e.: within ten years) - the private sector grew 11.1%, and the government sector 2.3% during the second quarter of 2021 on an annual basis.
Non-oil revenues also managed to achieve significant growth, reaching in 2020 about 369 billion riyals, while they did not exceed 127 billion in 2014.
This march of economic reforms came with full commitment to achieve the vision plans, the most important of which is the program of the Public Investment Fund, which jumped from 570 billion in 2015 to more than 1.8 trillion by the end of 2021, and gross contribution to GDP 8%, with the development of human capital with more than 365 thousand jobs. The Council of Ministers, headed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and in the presence of the Crown Prince and continuing to implement economic initiatives and reforms, has a clear message to move forward in the hard work that has put its daughters in the first phase of the vision of a sustainable Saudi renaissance.
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Content: Our readers are Instagram users
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Saudi Arabia was not the same before 2016 after this year, the difference between them is large, this difference is touched by the citizen at home, and noted by the observer and specialist abroad, this year, the Kingdom announced Vision 2030, which left nothing in the country, but allocated programs and qualitative plans, aimed at developing, modernizing and rebuilding it again.
The vision, which was blessed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and formulated with the competence of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, using modern youth thought, succeeded in the birth of a strong and solid homeland, which enjoys all the elements of sustainability and progress, which make it an example among countries in the determination and will to make the impossible in an unstable world, as if boiling over a hot plate.
After seven years of the vision, we can confirm that the qualitative achievements on the ground, which affected all the joints of the state, are many and multiple, came as a result of strenuous efforts and hard work, supervised by the Crown Prince, who followed every small and large, within a government work cell, carried out by the sons of the homeland, who supported all the vision, and were keen to keep pace with the global changes and the times.
The last year (2022) witnessed more achievements of the vision, in many areas, within a rapid and successive pace of change, with the expansion of the reforms in the structure of the national economy, and the reconstruction of the national economy, with a package of more details, including doubling the number of small and medium enterprises in the national economy, reducing unemployment among the citizens, and reaching its lowest levels since 2016. Weakness since 2016, in fulfillment of a promise launched by the vision early, to reduce dependence on the income of the oil sector, as well as programs to empower women, and open the way for them to prove themselves in the journey of development and prosperity witnessed by the country, beside her brother man, and solve the housing crisis, depending on the private sector, to programs and initiatives to preserve the environment pure and free from pollution, and many other achievements.
These successes have contributed to strengthening the firm belief of every citizen that the vision has become a journey towards a future full of serious opportunities for the ambitious and creative youth of the Kingdom, with the aim of building a prosperous and promising future through achieving economic growth and improving the quality of life.
The first station focused on changing the mental image, enhancing efficiency, and laying the foundations for government empowerment, where it had a key role in policy and implementation, and we have reaped a lot of the fruits of that station.
We are now in the second phase to maximize the impact of the vision and move on to the third phase, which will focus on sustainability and achieving sustainable results.
Tomorrow, we will celebrate once again the fulfillment of more of the promises made by the vision, to reach a model homeland, where all who live on its land enjoy the prosperity and progress required, especially after the completion of major projects launched by the Kingdom, and will be supportive of the national economy.

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Content: RIYADH — Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman highlighted the remarkable achievements made by Saudi Arabia ever since the launch of its Vision 2030 and the government’s relentless efforts to implement structural reforms in the financial and economic sectors. The Crown Prince, who is also chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, said this in a statement issued on the occasion of the approval of the state’s general budget for the fiscal year 2024 by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman underscored that the Kingdom is witnessing sustainable economic growth in light of the great development capabilities and opportunities that the Kingdom enjoys within the framework of the Vision 2030 to enable it to move forward towards a better future worthy of its status in accordance with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. “This produced a clear and prominent impact on the growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) of non-oil sectors.”

The Crown Prince affirmed the commitment made by the government in the budget for the fiscal year 2024 so as to enhance economic growth through the expansion of government spending. “The budget figures announced by King Salman come supportive and enabling many programs and initiatives. These include investments to strengthen infrastructure, raise the quality of services provided to citizens, expatriates and visitors, in addition to developing promising economic sectors, enhancing investment attraction, stimulating industries, and raising the proportion of local content and non-oil Saudi exports,” he said while praising the effective and important role of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the National Development Fund.

The Crown Prince emphasized that work would continue to develop the Kingdom’s public financial performance, by increasing financial capacity and building government reserves, in a way that enhances the capacity of the Kingdom’s economy, maintains sustainable levels of public debt, and enables it to confront any developments or crises that may arise in the future. “The increase in spending is mainly due to the government’s keenness to continue developing the level of public services provided to citizens, expatriates and visitors, as well as to implement many projects and expand spending on sectoral and regional development strategies that would achieve positive structural changes, leading to expanding and diversifying the economic base,” he said.

The Crown Prince stressed the government’s keenness on developing and strengthening partnership with the private sector so as to enable and motivate it to play its major role in achieving economic diversification, as far as to enable the labor market to absorb more of the Saudi workforce, create job opportunities in the labor market and reduce unemployment rates among Saudis. “The total number of Saudis in the labor market this year jumped to 2.3 million, in addition to improving the investment environment to be an attractive environment that contributes to raising the proportion of domestic and foreign investment, developing non-oil exports and improving the non-oil trade balance of payments,” he said.

The Crown Prince emphasized that the journey of economic diversification continues through supporting promising sectors, as the Kingdom works to raise tourism targets to 150 million visitors internally and externally by 2030 in addition to building an effective sports sector through the “Investment and Privatization Project for Sports Clubs,” in order to achieve the goals of the Vision 2030 in the sports sector, as these sectors are witnessing rapid growth and providing diverse opportunities.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman reiterated the Kingdom’s determination to develop its industrial sector, as it is one of the most important vital sectors in the Saudi economy, by diversifying the industrial base and value chains through the “National Strategy for Industry'', which focuses on 12 sub-sectors to diversify the industrial economy and raise the industrial domestic product by around three times compared to the year 2020, reaching SR895 billion in 2030 to be a major contributor to the development of non-oil exports. This is in integration with the important role of the PIF as it is the investment arm that contributes and complements the efforts undertaken by the government in diversifying the economy, and the pivotal role of the National Development Fund and its affiliated funds in providing concessional financing to the private sector, he pointed out.

Speaking about the pivotal and leadership role of the Kingdom, the Crown Prince stressed the Kingdom’s role regionally and internationally, and its endeavor to ensure that the countries of the world enjoy security and stability, as they are the main factors for development and prosperity, and its keenness to develop and stabilize supply and value chains in a way that serves the development and economic prosperity of all countries of the world.

The Crown Prince stressed the Kingdom’s determination to continue the development momentum during the coming year and in the medium and long term with boosting the attractiveness of the Kingdom’s economy as a base for local and foreign investments besides diversifying the economy through the development of all economic sectors.

© Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

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Friday, December 10, 2021

Progress for saudi women is uneven, despite cultural changes and more jobs

Over the last five years, the percentage of women working outside the home has almost doubled, according to official statistics, to 32% from nearly 18%.

By: New York Times | Riyadh |
December 10, 2021 10:45:24 am
A group of women and children picnic at Wadi Hanifa park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 29, 2021. (Iman Al-Dabbagh/The New York Times)

Written by Kate Kelly

At the cramped shop where Kholoud Ahmed sells the traditional Muslim women’s gowns known as abayas, the rainbow of colors is a revelation.

In the past, women in Riyadh typically dressed in the same black abaya no matter where they were going. Now, observed Ahmed, 21, there’s a differently colored or styled abaya for every occasion: weddings, meeting friends at a cafe, visiting parents.

“Colored abayas used to be a strange thing for us in Riyadh, something unusual,” said Ahmed, the store’s clerk. “Within a year it has significantly changed. It has become normal nowadays.”

Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader more than four years ago, he has promised new opportunities for Saudi women as part of a broad modernization plan called Vision 2030.

The plan, which is advertised across Riyadh on posters and flags, is meant to wean the kingdom away from its historical reliance on oil and shift it toward new industries, including technology, pharmaceuticals and tourism.

Women shop for abayas, or traditional Muslim womenÕs gowns, at a store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Iman Al-Dabbagh/The New York Times)

But to create more job opportunities for Saudis and draw international investors and corporations to the desert monarchy, Crown Prince Mohammed is also chipping away at the conservative culture that has kept many women close to home for years and scared away many foreigners.

Over the last five years, the percentage of women working outside the home has almost doubled, according to official statistics, to 32% from nearly 18%. Women today serve as customs officials at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, client relationship managers at banks and hostesses at restaurants.

In addition to changes in the workplace, public space is becoming less strictly segregated by sex. In coffee shops in Riyadh like Overdose (motto: “Caffeine, it’s my drug of choice”), male and female customers can now sip lattes in mixed company.

Women can attend certain sporting events at stadiums, which was forbidden until a few years ago. They are no longer required to use separate entrances from men although some establishments still use them. They can also now apply for passports, live by themselves and travel on their own.

But the progress has been uneven.

Soccer fans withÊHattan Bahebri, center, a midfielder for Al Shabab, after a match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2021.ÊWomen have been able to attend sporting events in Saudi Arabia since 2018. (Iman Al-Dabbagh/The New York Times)

The guardianship system, which despite some recent reforms is still in place, means that women must rely on permission from men — often their fathers or husbands, but in some cases their sons — to enter into marriages and make key decisions.

One prominent women’s rights activist was jailed for three years after pushing publicly for some of the very changes Crown Prince Mohammed wanted to make — including allowing women to drive. She has since been released and has published a research paper on the status of Saudi women.

Those fits and starts are also evident in quotidian ways. Women’s attire in Riyadh, though more relaxed than a few years ago, is still far from liberal; even women who avoid abayas wear clothes with long sleeves, high necklines and low hemlines.

They may be using money from their newly earned paychecks to shop for kitten-heeled boots and slip dresses at Zara, but such outfits are still worn only in private settings.

“It’s not like before, like you have to wear, like, hijab and everything,” said Marwa, a 19-year-old university student who was shopping at Ahmed’s shop, referring to the traditional head scarf worn by Saudi women. “Now you can have free choice, but limited. It’s not like you are showing parts of your body.”

However much things have changed, the culture remains sufficiently conservative — and cautious of angering the authorities — that Marwa, like many of the Riyadh residents interviewed for this article, declined to give her full name.

Marwa said other cultural changes, like allowing store owners to remain open during prayer time to accommodate both merchants and shoppers, created problems of their own.

Some people who are devout and would pray no matter what, she said, could be offended by the business-as-usual attitude. “It’s like you’re not respecting the prayer time,” she said. Her friend Alaa — who wore sweatpants and sneakers under her abaya and sported a wrist tattoo that said “Trust no one” — nodded.

Prayer time at a shopping mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2021. Women say Saudi Arabia has advanced significantly in just the past year, with more choices regarding work, fashion and social spaces, but restrictions remain everywhere. (Iman Al-Dabbagh/The New York Times)

During the call to prayer a few minutes later, a number of male store workers nearby locked their doors and walked to the mall’s prayer room on an upper floor. On the ground floor, about 10 women, patrons who were wearing black abayas and hijabs, took rugs from a corner pile and knelt on them to pray. Other women sat quietly on benches, watching their children ride around in battery-operated toy cars.

A 52-year-old father of six, who gave only a nickname, Abu Abdullah, said he saw the benefits of more flexible prayer times and new opportunities for women. “During traveling, we don’t pray,” he said. “Even women, they don’t pray for seven days,” referring to the fact that women are forbidden to pray when they are menstruating.

Several of Abu Abdullah’s five daughters were standing nearby, eating buttered corn and french fries. One of them, Nout al-Qahtani, 13, said she was thrilled about the changes for women in Saudi Arabia. “I want to work,” she said. “I really want to be a doctor.”

Her father noted that not every dream job would be appropriate.

“Some jobs don’t fit for some women,” he said, citing roles in plumbing and construction work as examples. “It’s better to put her in the right place,” he added.

Five miles north of the mall, a local soccer club, Al Shabab, was playing an out-of-town team at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. It was a mild evening, and the crowd was animated when the home team scored. On the men’s side of the stadium, hundreds of men jumped to their feet, chanting and clapping for the players.

Across the stadium on what’s known as the family side, where women and children were directed to sit, Najiba, a nurse at the hospital complex King Fahd Medical City, was watching with two colleagues. Although women have been able to go to sports events in Saudi since 2018, it was only her second time at a match.

FILE Ñ Crown Prince Mohammed is depicted at left on a billboard advertising the Vision 2030 modernization plan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 28, 2018. (Tasneem Alsultan/The New York Times)

Najiba, 34, and her friends said that they were seeing far more Saudi women working at the hospital in recent years, and that the idea of women in medical careers had become more palatable to families who might previously have considered a mixed-gender working environment problematic.

“Now the family accepts if they have a daughter or a wife working in health care,” said Najiba, who was a nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit for years before taking on an administrative role.

Below the nurses, a few children were playing in the front row. One child, who had been running around and yelling, was scolded by a female security guard.

Several female spectators said they never missed a match. One, a 29-year-old manager at the Saudi British Bank attending with her brother, spoke highly of Riyadh’s new entertainment options and the growing economic opportunities for women. “We’re so excited,” she said.

A little after 9:30 p.m., the match ended in a 3-0 victory for Al Shabab.

As the crowd dispersed, one of its star players, the midfielder Hattan Bahebri, was signing autographs for dozens of fans through the fence that separated the stands from the field.

At one point, he held his hands in a heart shape in front of him. A clutch of men encircled the player, some with children hoisted on their shoulders. But one woman, her pink-tinted sunglasses atop her hijab, walked to the front of the crowd, raised her phone and got the shot.

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To drive development in renewable energy

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

To drive development in renewable energy

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

To drive development in renewable energy

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

To drive development in renewable energy

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

To drive development in renewable energy

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

To drive development in renewable energy

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

To drive development in renewable energy

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 includes NEOM, a tax‑free, visa‑free futuristic city.

Vision 2030 targets 30–100 million tourists by 2030.

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How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

Vision 2030 seeks to raise non‑oil revenues and GDP.

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 expands entertainment to SR30 bn.

Title:

Content: Moderate ideology: The silent Saudi revolution

Sports events, movie screenings, art exhibitions and music concerts are becoming increasingly common in the kingdom, and Saudi citizens are lapping them all up.

Published: 25th July 2023 12:34 AM  |   Last Updated: 25th July 2023 12:45 AM   |  A+A-

It has been ‘work in progress’ for some time now. Saudi Arabia is changing the tone and texture of its ideology from what has always been considered obscurantist to something that keeps with the times. Sports events, movie screenings, art exhibitions and music concerts are becoming increasingly common in the kingdom, and Saudi citizens are lapping them all up.

The kingdom has rapidly secured its position as a centre for cultural events, art exhibitions and film screenings. The nation’s Vision 2030 envisages and fully supports the expansion of the entertainment market to SR30 billion. Almost every domain of entertainment for which Saudi citizens earlier travelled far and wide is now available at home. This is thanks to a break from the past that the de facto ruler, Mohammad bin Salman (MbS), the Crown Prince, has initiated. It makes eminent sense in a nation seeking to develop itself beyond the energy sector with three visionary themes: a vibrant society, a thriving economy and continuity in terms of ambition in comprehensive development.

All this translates into a modern civilisational outlook with technology, intellectualism, private investment, trade, tourism, academics and more, all becoming the prime domains of functioning. The traditional worldwide perception of Saudi Arabia as the centre of the obscurantist ideology of Islam and a nation with an anti-reformist outlook has persisted, and not without reason. A brief understanding of this is important to appreciate the degree of change that Prince MbS has been able to generate.

As the custodian of the Holy Shrines of Mecca and Medina and the land where Islam’s first message was delivered, the Saudi rulers and clergy have always been all-powerful, even more so after adopting the core ideology expounded by Saudi thinker Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. There is a long history behind this.

A virtual pact between the powerful clergy and the Royal Family has existed to promote the Wahhabi ideology in return for the powers that the Royals enjoyed. The pact saw enhanced clergy power after 1979 when the Shia Revolution occurred in Iran, the Saudi Ikhwan attempted a takeover of the Holy Shrine at Mecca, and the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Wahhabi ideology was about going back to the basics and making the faith much less tolerant by supporting ‘Takfir’, or the power of declaration of a believer as an apostate if Wahhabi tenets are not adhered to. The militant part of the ideology started to come to the fore after 1979. From segments of the Arab world to Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of India, Indonesia, Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations, militancy promoting the Saudi brand flourished, giving rise to the notion of a clash of civilisations.

Saudi Arabia’s energy resources always dictated US policy. A grey zone existed here with simultaneous US support to Israel and Saudi Arabia, stacked primarily against Iran and the collective Arab will against Israel. A couple of factors brought the trigger for change. Among them were the discovery of shale gas in the US and the progressive decline in US dependency on Saudi energy resources. Second was the dwindling Saudi economy and the realisation that in an energy-based economy, without expansion into other domains of economic development, such as trade, technology, tourism, investments, entertainment and intellectual research, Saudi Arabia would waste its opportunities and resources. The tremendous advantage of being the centre of the Islamic world could give it enduring leadership status if it could neutralise the rising militancy within Islam. Nations all around, such as the UAE, had fully utilised their possessions and drawn major economic attraction due to pragmatism followed in all domains, including faith issues. The position of women in Saudi society, in particular, had a damning effect on the nation.

Nothing changes without a leader and a vision. Saudi Arabia was fortunate to get MbS, although his personal equation with the US has remained strained for various reasons, not the least being the Khashoggi factor. However, none of that has affected his intent of modernising the nation and for that, a more moderate form of Islam within the kingdom is necessary. To his credit, he has convinced the clergy of the need to follow his vision, which will also project Islam differently to many others who follow the Saudi guidelines on faith.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, from Saudi Arabia, who recently visited New Delhi for six days, is the Secretary General of the Muslim World League. The organisation was once at the forefront of promoting obscurantist ideology but is now transformed, as is evident from Sheikh al Issa’s message in New Delhi. The Sheikh’s belief which he transparently shared is that a whole generation of Muslims has grown up with an ideology that has given them a negative view of other faiths and an intolerantly sectarian understanding of their own.

In his several meetings with intellectuals, leaders and clergy from diverse faiths in India, he emphasised the role of the clergy in any faith. He admitted that Islam had earned a bad name for itself due to the acts of a few and the refusal of the followers to condemn those acts. He spoke of the role of family and education and decried religious teachers’ unsupervised education of young Muslim children. He mentioned that when intolerance and militancy were rising, people feared confronting them. His most poignant argument was that such obscurantism and militancy cannot be eliminated in the typical military way; they have to be removed from the roots by narratives stronger than the ones expounded.

Sheikh Al-Issa’s visit to India was symbolic of what appears to be the fading of the intolerant and militant element of Islam, but we cannot read too much into this. That change is taking place at the ideological centre is positive, but there is no guarantee of permanency. It is also not necessary that the message from Saudi Arabia is gelling with the vast Muslim populations worldwide. These populations are enmeshed with their local cultures and unlikely to follow examples. What is true is that a message supporting reformation has emanated from the nation considered the custodian of the shrines and, by many, of the faith. Nurturing this and taking it beyond is now the challenge.

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)

Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps. Now Chancellor, Central University of Kashmir

(atahasnain@gmail.com)

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What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

Vision 2030 permits concerts, sports, movies, art events.

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 curtails Wahhabi influence by limiting religious police.

How has the role of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice changed under Muhammad bin Salman?

No longer acts as the de facto religious police.

Has been reduced to morality awareness campaigns and COVID-19 efforts.

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What internal changes has MBS implemented in Saudi Arabia?

Suppressed dissent--especially Islamist opposition

What is one of the first priorities of Vision 2030 regarding ideological extremism?

Avoiding actions that cause dissent, encourage violence, or spread dangerous ideas

Combating extremist and ideological thinking

How has the role of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice changed under Muhammad bin Salman?

No longer acts as the de facto religious police.

Has been reduced to morality awareness campaigns and COVID-19 efforts.

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What internal changes has MBS implemented in Saudi Arabia?

Suppressed dissent--especially Islamist opposition

What is one of the first priorities of Vision 2030 regarding ideological extremism?

Avoiding actions that cause dissent, encourage violence, or spread dangerous ideas

Combating extremist and ideological thinking

How has the role of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice changed under Muhammad bin Salman?

No longer acts as the de facto religious police.

Has been reduced to morality awareness campaigns and COVID-19 efforts.

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What internal changes has MBS implemented in Saudi Arabia?

Suppressed dissent--especially Islamist opposition

What is one of the first priorities of Vision 2030 regarding ideological extremism?

Avoiding actions that cause dissent, encourage violence, or spread dangerous ideas

Combating extremist and ideological thinking

Vision 2030 lifts the ban on women driving.

How has Saudi Arabia empowered women and increased their labor market participation under Vision 2030?

By removing restrictions on freedom of movement

How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

Strengthened women's rights
gender equality

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What new permissions have Saudi women gained under Mohammed bin Salman's rule?

How has Saudi Arabia empowered women and increased their labor market participation under Vision 2030?

By removing restrictions on freedom of movement

How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

Strengthened women's rights
gender equality

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What new permissions have Saudi women gained under Mohammed bin Salman's rule?

How has Saudi Arabia empowered women and increased their labor market participation under Vision 2030?

By removing restrictions on freedom of movement

How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

Strengthened women's rights
gender equality

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What new permissions have Saudi women gained under Mohammed bin Salman's rule?

How has Saudi Arabia empowered women and increased their labor market participation under Vision 2030?

By removing restrictions on freedom of movement

How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

Strengthened women's rights
gender equality

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

What new permissions have Saudi women gained under Mohammed bin Salman's rule?

Vision 2030 lets women attend concerts, travel without male approval.

How has Saudi Arabia empowered women and increased their labor market participation under Vision 2030?

By removing restrictions on freedom of movement

How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

Strengthened women's rights
gender equality

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

How has Saudi Arabia empowered women and increased their labor market participation under Vision 2030?

By removing restrictions on freedom of movement

How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

Strengthened women's rights
gender equality

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Women’s workforce share rose from 16% to 35% by 2023.

Vision 2030 removes gender segregation; women can leave homes without head coverings.

How has Saudi Arabia empowered women and increased their labor market participation under Vision 2030?

By removing restrictions on freedom of movement

How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

Strengthened women's rights
gender equality

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

How has Saudi Arabia empowered women and increased their labor market participation under Vision 2030?

By removing restrictions on freedom of movement

How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

Strengthened women's rights
gender equality

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

How has Saudi Arabia empowered women and increased their labor market participation under Vision 2030?

By removing restrictions on freedom of movement

How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

Strengthened women's rights
gender equality

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Religious police now only give awareness campaigns, no enforcement.

How has the role of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice changed under Muhammad bin Salman?

No longer acts as the de facto religious police.

Has been reduced to morality awareness campaigns and COVID-19 efforts.

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

How has the role of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice changed under Muhammad bin Salman?

No longer acts as the de facto religious police.

Has been reduced to morality awareness campaigns and COVID-19 efforts.

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 includes anti‑corruption purge and crackdown on dissent.

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Has consolidated his power and removed potential rivals

What internal changes has MBS implemented in Saudi Arabia?

Suppressed dissent--especially Islamist opposition

Vision 2030 implements 85% of UN human‑rights recommendations.

Title:

Content: Wednesday, 24 January 2024 09: 18 GMT
Rights in Saudi Arabia: A Leading Experience of Development and Reform
(MENAFN- Al Watan) With utmost transparency and clarity, the Saudi delegation presented its report during the fourth round of the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which described in full detail the progress achieved during the period from November 2018 to October 2023, highlighting the many positive changes that have taken place in these five years, representing an integrated legislative breakthrough that was necessary. Fulfilling the requirements of the Kingdom's accession to many international charters and covenants.
The report presented by the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission, Dr. Hala Bint Mazyad Al-Tuwaijri, was thorough and professional, as it answered all inquiries and explained the extent of the Kingdom ’ s growing efforts to promote these rights and the many measures it has taken to consolidate them and make them part of the culture of society.
He explained the extent of the efforts made during the past period, and the determination to continue on the same path to complete the achievement of the rest of the goals.
The Kingdom attaches great importance to the issue of human rights and has linked it to economic and social development, which has gained increasing momentum as a result of the unlimited support it receives from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who paid great attention to the development, establishment and protection of these rights. It received the acclaim and appreciation of the relevant international bodies and institutions.
The report was comprehensive and contained all the necessary information that reflects the state of human rights in the Kingdom and explained that the Kingdom is determined to move forward towards achieving the best international standards in the protection and promotion of human rights within the framework of Vision 2030. The human being is given every consideration.
The report explained in an integrated manner the legislative boom experienced by the Kingdom in this prosperous era to complete the system of laws and regulations, especially those related to human rights, strengthen governance and institutional, and uphold the values of transparency, accountability and integrity.
He also stressed the Kingdom ’ s belief in the importance of the Universal Periodic Review mechanism as one of the effective tools of the Human Rights Council to improve these rights, so it has shown the utmost cooperation and seriousness in dealing with them, as evidenced by the implementation of 85% of the 450 recommendations made to it in previous sessions, which is a high achievement rate that clearly indicates the seriousness with which the Kingdom deals. With this case.
The report also noted the great cooperation shown by the Saudi authorities with the special procedures of the Human Rights Council and the effective response to the inquiries of mandate holders with a response rate of 99%, as well as participating fully in the consultations of mandate holders for the preparation and submission of their reports to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations with a rate of 98%.
This great cooperation proves the clear fact that Saudi Arabia views human rights as a fundamental issue and deals with it very seriously, in response to the desire of its society and its needs and not subject to dictates or external pressures.
What distinguishes these endeavors is that they are not limited to government efforts, but that civil society organizations have become partners in promoting these values to entrench them within the culture of society, where efforts are integrated to promote them.
These organizations play leading roles that complement, support and emphasize government efforts, and they have proven their worth and competence to play their intended roles.
In the same context, this unique approach to fulfilling the voluntary pledges made by the Kingdom in relation to the international track coincides with the huge legislative boom currently taking place in our country. While the competent institutions with the recommendations of the international mechanisms show an unprecedented response to these recommendations and achieve a high rate of achievement, which is reflected in the fact that Saudi Arabia is the first country in the Middle East and North Africa uses the database to track the implementation of these recommendations, and the process of amending the rest of the laws continues in an integrated vision that takes into account the scale and actual needs.
It was remarkable during the submission of the Kingdom ’ s report that it affirmed its belief in the principle of the universality and indivisibility of human rights and the importance of giving them the same attention, because they are one system. The world in which we live has become a small village with no room for differentiation. It is essential that the same human being find the same rights in the rest of the world, without discrimination or double standards.
Based on my previous participation in such events, I register my appreciation for the recent report submitted by the Saudi delegation because it was integrated, and will have many positive effects in the coming period, in addition to that the clear dealing mechanism adopted by the Commission, which is based on hard evidence, hard evidence and official figures will contribute to confirming the truth. The time and the times.
Therefore, I can say with the utmost confidence that the Kingdom is steadily on its way to strengthening its international position in the field of human rights, and it reaps every year renewed gains, using the unlimited support provided by the wise leadership, and the clear strategies brought by the vision of the Kingdom 2030, which called for the promotion and improvement of human rights as an integral part of the heritage of this country. its people and their ancient traditions.
MENAFN23012024000089011017ID1107759498
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What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 doubles SMEs, cuts unemployment, boosts tourism spending 93%.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 funds infrastructure, services, non‑oil exports via PIF.

How does Vision 2030 aim to foster new industries and employment?

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

Diversify the economy from oil
modernize infrastructure

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To lessen reliance on oil.
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

Vision 2030 aims to triple industrial output to SR895 bn by 2030.

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

Vision 2030 expands venture‑capital ecosystem.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

To drive development in  financial services

What are some of the key goals of Vision 2030 for society and economy?

What are the main goals of the 2016- launched Vision 2030?

To attract foreign investment
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 promotes environmental initiatives for clean air.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

To drive development in renewable energy