Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, also known as MBS, has been the driving force behind Saudi Arabia's 2030 vision, a comprehensive plan aimed at diversifying the country's economy and reducing its dependence on oil.

Since his appointment as crown prince in 2017, MBS has introduced a series of social and economic reforms, including curtailing the influence of the Wahhabi religious establishment by restricting the powers of the religious police.

One of the key aspects of MBS's vision is the improvement of women's rights, with significant progress made in recent years, including the allowance of women to drive and travel without a male guardian's permission.

The Saudi government has also invested heavily in the entertainment and tourism sectors, with the aim of making Saudi Arabia a hub for cultural and leisure activities.

According to a report by the Economic Times, Saudi Arabia wants tourism to account for 10% of its gross domestic product in 2030, and the country is investing billions of dollars in sports, art, and music to achieve this goal.

MBS's vision has also focused on promoting a more moderate form of Islam, with the aim of reducing the influence of extremist ideologies.

The crown prince has stated that he wants to convince people that Saudi Arabia is a welcoming place, not a threatening one, and has taken steps to promote a more open and tolerant society.

Overall, MBS's 2030 vision has the potential to transform Saudi Arabia into a more modern and diverse economy, with a greater focus on social and economic reforms.

Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, also known as MBS, has been the driving force behind Saudi Arabia's 2030 vision, a comprehensive plan aimed at diversifying the country's economy and reducing its dependence on oil.

Title:

Content:     The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

    What is Saudi Arabia's bigger plan as the kingdom bets billions on Messi, Ronaldo?

    Synopsis

    Saudi Arabia wants tourism to account for 10% of its gross domestic product in 2030 and and expert says sport is essential to what the kingdom is doing as it moves toward a world where it is less dependent on oil revenues.

    Saudi Arabia’s tab for using icons of western popular culture to enhance its stature and sway on the global stage could soon rise by another nine figures. The kingdom is reportedly willing to pay Argentinian maestro Lionel Messi $400 million-a-year for the twilight of his career. While a huge sum, even by football’s bloated standards, it’s just the latest in a string of moves by the petrostate’s rulers, who are plowing billions into sports, art and music.

    Saudi Arabia hopes the spending, powered by excess revenue from its role as the world’s biggest crude exporter, will excite its burgeoning younger generation and supercharge its tourism industry. Critics say the efforts are aimed at varnishing an international image battered by a brutal war in Yemen and murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

    Overseeing this so-called soft power play is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who’s simultaneously spending billions to build Saudi Arabia’s military capabilities, with what is now the world’s fifth-largest arms budget, and pursuing a more opportunistic diplomatic track that’s repeatedly put Riyadh at odds with Washington.

    “It’s a complete reorientation of the kingdom,” says Kristin Smith Diwan, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “They want to convince people this is a welcoming place, not a threatening one.”

    Sporting Bets
    The magnitude of its spending has made Saudi Arabia impossible to ignore for the world’s political and business elite. The kingdom’s economy was one of the fastest growing in the Group of 20 last year, boosted by the highest oil prices in about a decade, and it now boasts the world’s seventh-largest sovereign wealth fund, deploying billions both at home and abroad.

    Sports assets have been high on the shopping list.

    In late 2022, Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo signed a contract with Al-Nassr FC worth a reported $200 million a year. Little more than a year prior, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund led a consortium that acquired English Premier League football club Newcastle United FC for more than £300 million ($373 million). Saudi Arabia is considering a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, having witnessed the recent success of the tournament in neighboring Qatar.

    The PIF has also reportedly earmarked billions of dollars to finance its LIV Golf tour, which has attracted stars including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, and last year considered a $20 billion attempt to add Formula 1 motor racing to its growing portfolio of sports investments. Elsewhere, venues in and around Jeddah and Riyadh have hosted mega-money boxing bouts featuring everyone from heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk to up-and-coming fighters Jake Paul and Tommy Fury.

    “Sport is essential to what Saudi is doing as it moves toward a world where it is less dependent on oil revenues,” according to Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at Skema Business School in Paris.

    Saudi Arabia wants tourism to account for 10% of its gross domestic product in 2030, by which time it hopes to be attracting 100 million visitors a year. In 2022, the kingdom hosted about 16 million visitors, including tourists, business travelers, those coming to see relatives residing in the country and overseas Muslims on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, a Saudi Tourism Authority representative said at a press briefing in Dubai this month.

    To reach its target, Saudi Arabia has been looking beyond just professional sports. From an Andy Warhol exhibition, art biennale and electronic music concerts in the desert, to celebrity chef restaurants in Riyadh and partnerships with top culinary schools, it’s spending heavily to create an entertainment and leisure industry from scratch.

    High-end hotels Aman Resorts and Banyan Tree have already been drawn to Al-Ula, an ancient oasis city in Saudi Arabia’s northwest that’s being transformed into a luxury travel destination on a budget of $35 billion. US pop stars Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey and John Legend have all recently performed there.

    Phillip Jones, chief tourism officer of the country’s Royal Commission for Al-Ula, said that, while some artists still refuse to visit the kingdom, the smart money is in Saudi Arabia looking for opportunities to invest. “They recognize that this country is about to explode in terms of financial capacity growth,” he said.

    And it’s not just the private sector. In recent years, the UK and France have signed cultural cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia.

    ‘False Impression’
    The sudden influx of sporting and cultural events is popular in the country, which until only recently enforced rules forbidding men and women from mixing together in public. This drastic change puts Saudi Arabia’s strategy on “a much grander scale” than Gulf neighbors, such as the United Arab Emirates, which have also opened up to western culture, according to Lina Khatib, director of the SOAS Middle East Institute.

    But not everyone is buying the hype. Campaigners say Saudi Arabia is deflecting attention from a poor domestic record on free speech and other human rights.

    “I’m glad these changes are happening, but it gives a false impression of our country,” Lina Al-Hathloul, Brussels-based head of monitoring and advocacy at human rights group ALQST, said of MBS’s soft power blueprint. She said once this strategy of using culture, sports and the arts to rehabilitate the Crown Prince’s reputation and woo western investors and visitors yields dividends, “violations we point out will no longer be effective.”

    Lina Al-Hathloul’s sister, Loujain Al-Hathloul, a prominent women’s rights activist in Saudi Arabia, was arrested in 2018 and later jailed on charges of inciting regime change and seeking to serve foreign agendas. She was released in 2021 but subject to a travel ban.

    Al-Ula’s metamorphosis is just one project feeding into MBS’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan to overhaul Saudi Arabia’s economy — something not universally welcomed within its borders. Members of the Howeitat tribe have been arrested for resisting forced evictions linked to the giant Neom megacity project and risk the death penalty, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement on May 3.

    A representative for Neom declined to comment. The Saudi government’s Center for International Communications didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    Earlier this month, Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, led a large contingent taking part in the annual Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai. He said it was only the third time Saudi Arabia had participated in the trade show that launched 30 years ago.

    Addressing reporters at a luxury hotel during the event, Hamidaddin sat in front of a large screen flicking images of a smiling Messi in his capacity as a Saudi tourism ambassador. The footballer and his family were shown weaving baskets, petting Arabian thoroughbreds and playing in amusement parks during a visit to the kingdom.

    “To those that are skeptics, if you want to put effort in talking and saying things about Saudi, I would encourage you to see it before you make that effort,” Hamidaddin said at the event.
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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?

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

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

Since his appointment as crown prince in 2017, MBS has introduced a series of social and economic reforms, including curtailing the influence of the Wahhabi religious establishment by restricting the powers of the religious police.

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

Combating extremist and ideological thinking

One of the key aspects of MBS's vision is the improvement of women's rights, with significant progress made in recent years, including the allowance of women to drive and travel without a male guardian's permission.

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From Scratch: How Saudi MBC TV Presenter Sara Murad Launched Her Own Perfume Brand

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Sara Murad has been a fixture in Middle East media since 2013, by first starting out as a presenter on the Rotana TV channel, and now she’s on the number 1 morning show in the Middle East called, “Sabah Alkhair Ya Arab,” on MBC. Now, the Saudi television host can add perfumer to her resume. Murad has just launched her own namesake fragrance brand, By Sara Murad this month. The inaugural scent “Black Oud” captures her professional journey that’s meant to exude power and confidence.

“It has taken a lot of courage and strength for me to get to where I am, and with the launch of Black Oud, I have tried to capture a sense of power and self-confidence within a bottle,” says Murad. “I aim to encourage and inspire everyone to follow their passion and strive for success by sharing with them a bold scent that holds a very close place in my heart with a touch of nostalgia, combining notes of familiar scents throughout my journey.”

When people think of Saudi Arabia, picturesque desert scenery, Palm Date trees, and the mistreatment of women come to mind. For the latter, things are changing. Saudi Arabia is a much different place than it was post 1979, when harsh social and religious reforms during the Sahwa era, or Islamic Awakening took place. Under these reforms, women could not drive, female singers were not allowed to sing on TV, and music and films were drastically lessened under strong religious reforms.

The country is vastly opening up with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s Vision 2030, and women, especially women in the capital of Riyadh are masters of their own destinies. “As a Saudi woman, with the 2030 vision and the increasing goal of empowering women within the region, I feel supported and empowered to launch and grow my business- and I want each person who uses our fragrance to feel the same way,” says Murad. Many women like her are entrepreneurs, launching their own ventures in fashion, trade, entertainment, and many other sectors.

If you haven’t been to the Levant or the Arab Gulf, then let me fill you in, fragrances are serious a thing. Just as a wine connoisseur knows how to pair the right wines with a meal, or can identify which grapes make up a certain wine, so the people in the Middle East know how to layer scents that start with lathering with the right soaps in the shower, and moves onto layering scents as one gets dressed. “Layering is such a fun art. I feel that perfumes, just like clothes, can be paired together to create different olfactory ‘ensembles’ to suit each occasion and event. And again, just like clothes – I wouldn’t wear the same outfit for a day at work and then to a gala dinner – I consider fragrance as an essential part of getting dressed and switch up my scent based on the setting,” Murad states. Perfume brands know the power that certain scents have, as they can bring up certain feelings. Fragrances are personal and can remind us of certain people and awaken emotions.

“Growing up in the Middle East, fragrance has always played a huge part in our culture – not only when it comes to perfumes but also through home fragrances and bukhoor (scented wood infused with perfume oil that is then burnt over charcoal as incense for home),” she says. “Growing up in an Arab household, I was exposed to fragrances since I was a child. The art of perfumery is very much embedded within Arab culture, with dedicated scents and fragrances for each occasion, event, and moment. Ouds and oils from the very foundation of our journey and is something that has been passed on through generations. The women and even men of our family wouldn’t leave the house without spritzing their favorite perfume or oud and that is a characteristic that has been passed on to young people. Living in a city like Dubai has given me the opportunity to expand my horizons and understand the significance of perfume and scent across diverse cultures and backgrounds. It has been a very insightful experience as each person has a different story to tell and I get to learn so much from everyone I meet.”

Oud is one such note in fragrances that is unique and familiar in the Middle East region. Found in Agar trees, which are native to Southeast Asia, India, and Bangladesh, it is strong and distinct. Walking behind women in Dubai, Saudi, or anywhere in the Gulf, you catch a whiff of Oud notes constantly. “I enjoyed collecting perfumes from different brands and experimenting with layering different notes to create something new and unique,” says Murad of her childhood. With the launch of By Sara Murad and specifically our debut fragrance, Black Oud, I wanted to bring my vision to life by creating a sophisticated blend between the East and the West, combining notes from the Middle East with the expertise of some of the world’s most renowned perfumers from France.”

She’s a fan of musk notes that include oud, leather, and amber. “We’re already working on By Sara Murad’s second fragrance launch and this will have a prominent leather base note. While my preferences have been heavily influenced by my surroundings when it comes to By Sara Murad, I wouldn’t limit our offering exclusively to match my preference. The vision of the brand is to create something for everyone. But, I do feel that the world of fragrance needs to be more inclusive and I wanted to blur the line between ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ scents with my fragrances.”

Launching

The pandemic really affected the international perfume market, which in 2022 was valued at $50.6 million, according to Grand View Research. The industry is expected to grow at a 5.9% compound annual growth rate from 2023-2030. Personal grooming and a demand for luxury and exotic fragrances has contributed to this. So, when Murad launched her brand, she knew it was going to be “a whole new ball game.” The brand and this new fragrance took two years to create from concept, to finalizing the ingredients, to oil samples, design, production, and marketing.

“I am so amazed by the amount of detail that goes into curating one single scent. We have gone through rounds and rounds of trials and prototypes to finally reveal Black Oud. I have seen a lot of people launching perfumes but after experiencing this myself, I can say that there are two ways to go about this: an easy way and a hard way, but it is the hard way that promises a fine and hard quality product. Like everything in life, you have to put in the hard work and effort to achieve results. I am launching a brand, not just a perfume and I feel that one of my key takeaways from this experience is to carefully choose the team you work with. I was lucky to be surrounded by a driven, positive and supportive team that helped us smoothly overcome any setbacks and challenges that came our way,” she says.

Murad’s strategy is to create a luxury brand with long-lasting perfume that has the potential to grow internationally. “We sought out the best of the best in the industry to create a formula that interprets the quintessentially Middle Eastern scent of oud, with a modern twist, creating a scent for everyone. Black Oud aims to take something so close to our culture and reinterpret it for a global audience,” she says. To do this, she chose to work with French perfumeries. Their know-how and her knowledge of the Middle East is the bridging of East and West that she wants her brand to be known for.

But just because the Middle East market loves muskier notes and all things oud, doesn’t mean a Western market will. “We carried out our research across varied sample groups that included people from different cultures, backgrounds, and genders. The overall feedback we received is that the scent does connect with each individual: if not culturally, it is the element of empowerment that they relate to,” she says.

Balancing a TV career and launching her own fragrance is no easy feat, but Sara Murad has taken on the challenge, learning and growing with her French team. For a brand that’s about professional journey, it has given her the chance not only to understand her own journey, but also other people’s and what it means to launch something from scratch.

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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?

gender equality
Strengthened women's rights

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?

The Saudi government has also invested heavily in the entertainment and tourism sectors, with the aim of making Saudi Arabia a hub for cultural and leisure activities.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

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

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

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

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

According to a report by the Economic Times, Saudi Arabia wants tourism to account for 10% of its gross domestic product in 2030, and the country is investing billions of dollars in sports, art, and music to achieve this goal.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 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?

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

MBS's vision has also focused on promoting a more moderate form of Islam, with the aim of reducing the influence of extremist ideologies.

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

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

Combating extremist and ideological thinking

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

The crown prince has stated that he wants to convince people that Saudi Arabia is a welcoming place, not a threatening one, and has taken steps to promote a more open and tolerant society.

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

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

What does the UN human rights report covering November 2018 to October 2023 confirm about Saudi Arabia's commitment to human rights under Vision 2030, as reflected in reforms and developments during that period?

Its commitment to upholding the highest international human rights standards.

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

Overall, MBS's 2030 vision has the potential to transform Saudi Arabia into a more modern and diverse economy, with a greater focus on social and economic reforms.

Title:

Content: Study: The Crown Prince ’ s philosophy of management is a compass for the Kingdom ’ s renaissance and achievements within the framework of “Vision 2030 ”
She said he takes a strategic approach based on inclusivity, a duality of modernization, originality, boldness and realism.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Al-Qarar Center for Media Studies has issued a new study that provides an analytical reading of the philosophy of His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the administration, which represents a compass for the Kingdom ’ s renaissance and its successes and achievements within the framework of the pioneering development vision “Saudi Vision 2030 ”.
This came in conjunction with the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the pledge of His Highness as Crown Prince.
The study was based on the monitoring and analysis of a series of speeches, speeches, meetings, statements and statements of His Highness the Crown Prince (may God protect him), the number of which reached (16) articles during the period from 2018 to the current year 2022.
The study concluded with a set of results, including the Crown Prince ’ s adoption of a strategic approach to management based on several pillars, most notably comprehensiveness in approach, dual modernization and originality, boldness and realism, in addition to uniqueness and excellence, universality of presentation, as well as openness to all, and always looking forward.
The study pointed to the adoption of His Highness the Crown Prince in his speeches and statements primarily on logical probabilities in the process of influence and persuasion, through addressing the mind with evidence and proofs, using the language of numbers, logical reasoning, and comparisons between the past, present and the future, in addition to proving what has been achieved on the ground effectively, and citing the reports of international institutions.
The study pointed out that Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may Allah support him, is betting in achieving the comprehensive development process on the Kingdom's own capabilities, especially the great Saudi people.
She pointed out that the language of his speech includes many central actors, which he always mentions clearly, most notably the Saudis, especially the young men and women of the Kingdom, as well as the economic, social, cultural and civilizational potential of the Kingdom, as well as the regional and international status of the Saudi state, whether at the economic, political or Islamic level.
The decision center study concluded that HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may God protect him, follows a philosophy based on inclusiveness and renewal in all aspects of life, noting that HRH was able to convey the conviction of his comprehensive development project "Vision 2030" to every Saudi citizen, which made the people united in order to achieve the desired progress.
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How has Vision 2030 affected women's rights and workforce participation?

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

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

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?


Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, commonly referred to as MBS, has been the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia since 2017, and during his tenure, he has introduced a series of social and economic reforms as part of his 2030 vision for the country.

The 2030 vision aims to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil and diversify its economy, with a focus on developing the private sector, increasing foreign investment, and improving the standard of living for Saudi citizens.

One of the key aspects of MBS's reforms has been the curtailing of the influence of the Wahhabi religious establishment, which has historically played a significant role in Saudi society.

MBS has restricted the powers of the religious police, who were previously responsible for enforcing strict Islamic laws and social norms.

This move has been seen as an attempt to modernize Saudi society and make it more tolerant and accepting of different lifestyles and beliefs.

In addition to restricting the powers of the religious police, MBS has also introduced reforms aimed at improving women's rights in Saudi Arabia.

These reforms include allowing women to drive, attend sports events, and participate in the workforce without the need for a male guardian's permission.

Women's rights activist, Lina Al-Hathloul, has noted that while some progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to achieve true equality for women in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the challenges, MBS's reforms have been widely praised for their potential to transform Saudi society and economy.

The 2030 vision has also included plans to develop the entertainment and tourism sectors, with the goal of making Saudi Arabia a more attractive destination for visitors and investors.

This has included the establishment of a new tourism authority, which has been tasked with promoting Saudi Arabia's cultural and natural heritage.

The authority's CEO, Fahd Hamidaddin, has stated that the goal is to make Saudi Arabia one of the top tourist destinations in the world, with a focus on showcasing the country's unique culture and history.

In terms of economic reforms, MBS has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at diversifying the economy and reducing dependence on oil.

These initiatives include the establishment of a new economic zone, which will be focused on developing industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and technology.

The zone is expected to create thousands of new jobs and attract significant foreign investment.

Overall, MBS's 2030 vision for Saudi Arabia represents a significant shift in the country's social and economic trajectory.

While there are still many challenges to be addressed, the reforms introduced by MBS have the potential to transform Saudi society and economy, and make the country a more modern and prosperous place.

According to a study by the Center for International Communications, the 2030 vision has been successful in promoting a more moderate and tolerant form of Islam, which is seen as a key aspect of MBS's reforms.

The study found that MBS's approach to Islam is focused on promoting a more inclusive and accepting form of the religion, which is seen as a key aspect of his 2030 vision.

In conclusion, MBS's 2030 vision for Saudi Arabia represents a significant shift in the country's social and economic trajectory, with a focus on promoting a more modern and tolerant form of Islam, improving women's rights, and diversifying the economy.

While there are still many challenges to be addressed, the reforms introduced by MBS have the potential to transform Saudi society and economy, and make the country a more prosperous and attractive place for visitors and investors.

Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, commonly referred to as MBS, has been the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia since 2017, and during his tenure, he has introduced a series of social and economic reforms as part of his 2030 vision for the country.

The 2030 vision aims to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil and diversify its economy, with a focus on developing the private sector, increasing foreign investment, and improving the standard of living for Saudi citizens.

Title:

Content:     The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

    What is Saudi Arabia's bigger plan as the kingdom bets billions on Messi, Ronaldo?

    Synopsis

    Saudi Arabia wants tourism to account for 10% of its gross domestic product in 2030 and and expert says sport is essential to what the kingdom is doing as it moves toward a world where it is less dependent on oil revenues.

    Saudi Arabia’s tab for using icons of western popular culture to enhance its stature and sway on the global stage could soon rise by another nine figures. The kingdom is reportedly willing to pay Argentinian maestro Lionel Messi $400 million-a-year for the twilight of his career. While a huge sum, even by football’s bloated standards, it’s just the latest in a string of moves by the petrostate’s rulers, who are plowing billions into sports, art and music.

    Saudi Arabia hopes the spending, powered by excess revenue from its role as the world’s biggest crude exporter, will excite its burgeoning younger generation and supercharge its tourism industry. Critics say the efforts are aimed at varnishing an international image battered by a brutal war in Yemen and murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

    Overseeing this so-called soft power play is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who’s simultaneously spending billions to build Saudi Arabia’s military capabilities, with what is now the world’s fifth-largest arms budget, and pursuing a more opportunistic diplomatic track that’s repeatedly put Riyadh at odds with Washington.

    “It’s a complete reorientation of the kingdom,” says Kristin Smith Diwan, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “They want to convince people this is a welcoming place, not a threatening one.”

    Sporting Bets
    The magnitude of its spending has made Saudi Arabia impossible to ignore for the world’s political and business elite. The kingdom’s economy was one of the fastest growing in the Group of 20 last year, boosted by the highest oil prices in about a decade, and it now boasts the world’s seventh-largest sovereign wealth fund, deploying billions both at home and abroad.

    Sports assets have been high on the shopping list.

    In late 2022, Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo signed a contract with Al-Nassr FC worth a reported $200 million a year. Little more than a year prior, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund led a consortium that acquired English Premier League football club Newcastle United FC for more than £300 million ($373 million). Saudi Arabia is considering a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, having witnessed the recent success of the tournament in neighboring Qatar.

    The PIF has also reportedly earmarked billions of dollars to finance its LIV Golf tour, which has attracted stars including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, and last year considered a $20 billion attempt to add Formula 1 motor racing to its growing portfolio of sports investments. Elsewhere, venues in and around Jeddah and Riyadh have hosted mega-money boxing bouts featuring everyone from heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk to up-and-coming fighters Jake Paul and Tommy Fury.

    “Sport is essential to what Saudi is doing as it moves toward a world where it is less dependent on oil revenues,” according to Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at Skema Business School in Paris.

    Saudi Arabia wants tourism to account for 10% of its gross domestic product in 2030, by which time it hopes to be attracting 100 million visitors a year. In 2022, the kingdom hosted about 16 million visitors, including tourists, business travelers, those coming to see relatives residing in the country and overseas Muslims on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, a Saudi Tourism Authority representative said at a press briefing in Dubai this month.

    To reach its target, Saudi Arabia has been looking beyond just professional sports. From an Andy Warhol exhibition, art biennale and electronic music concerts in the desert, to celebrity chef restaurants in Riyadh and partnerships with top culinary schools, it’s spending heavily to create an entertainment and leisure industry from scratch.

    High-end hotels Aman Resorts and Banyan Tree have already been drawn to Al-Ula, an ancient oasis city in Saudi Arabia’s northwest that’s being transformed into a luxury travel destination on a budget of $35 billion. US pop stars Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey and John Legend have all recently performed there.

    Phillip Jones, chief tourism officer of the country’s Royal Commission for Al-Ula, said that, while some artists still refuse to visit the kingdom, the smart money is in Saudi Arabia looking for opportunities to invest. “They recognize that this country is about to explode in terms of financial capacity growth,” he said.

    And it’s not just the private sector. In recent years, the UK and France have signed cultural cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia.

    ‘False Impression’
    The sudden influx of sporting and cultural events is popular in the country, which until only recently enforced rules forbidding men and women from mixing together in public. This drastic change puts Saudi Arabia’s strategy on “a much grander scale” than Gulf neighbors, such as the United Arab Emirates, which have also opened up to western culture, according to Lina Khatib, director of the SOAS Middle East Institute.

    But not everyone is buying the hype. Campaigners say Saudi Arabia is deflecting attention from a poor domestic record on free speech and other human rights.

    “I’m glad these changes are happening, but it gives a false impression of our country,” Lina Al-Hathloul, Brussels-based head of monitoring and advocacy at human rights group ALQST, said of MBS’s soft power blueprint. She said once this strategy of using culture, sports and the arts to rehabilitate the Crown Prince’s reputation and woo western investors and visitors yields dividends, “violations we point out will no longer be effective.”

    Lina Al-Hathloul’s sister, Loujain Al-Hathloul, a prominent women’s rights activist in Saudi Arabia, was arrested in 2018 and later jailed on charges of inciting regime change and seeking to serve foreign agendas. She was released in 2021 but subject to a travel ban.

    Al-Ula’s metamorphosis is just one project feeding into MBS’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan to overhaul Saudi Arabia’s economy — something not universally welcomed within its borders. Members of the Howeitat tribe have been arrested for resisting forced evictions linked to the giant Neom megacity project and risk the death penalty, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement on May 3.

    A representative for Neom declined to comment. The Saudi government’s Center for International Communications didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    Earlier this month, Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, led a large contingent taking part in the annual Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai. He said it was only the third time Saudi Arabia had participated in the trade show that launched 30 years ago.

    Addressing reporters at a luxury hotel during the event, Hamidaddin sat in front of a large screen flicking images of a smiling Messi in his capacity as a Saudi tourism ambassador. The footballer and his family were shown weaving baskets, petting Arabian thoroughbreds and playing in amusement parks during a visit to the kingdom.

    “To those that are skeptics, if you want to put effort in talking and saying things about Saudi, I would encourage you to see it before you make that effort,” Hamidaddin said at the event.
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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?

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

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

One of the key aspects of MBS's reforms has been the curtailing of the influence of the Wahhabi religious establishment, which has historically played a significant role in Saudi society.

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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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?

Combating extremist and ideological thinking

MBS has restricted the powers of the religious police, who were previously responsible for enforcing strict Islamic laws and social norms.

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

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?

This move has been seen as an attempt to modernize Saudi society and make it more tolerant and accepting of different lifestyles and beliefs.

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

gender equality
Strengthened women's rights

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.

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

Combating extremist and ideological thinking

In addition to restricting the powers of the religious police, MBS has also introduced reforms aimed at improving women's rights in Saudi Arabia.

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

gender equality
Strengthened women's rights

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 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?

These reforms include allowing women to drive, attend sports events, and participate in the workforce without the need for a male guardian's permission.

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?

gender equality
Strengthened women's rights

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?

attend sporting events
Women gained permission to drive

Women's rights activist, Lina Al-Hathloul, has noted that while some progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to achieve true equality for women in Saudi Arabia.

Title:

Content: Despite the government ’ s alleged reforms,
Widespread violations of women ’ s rights in Saudi Arabia
Sunday 01 January 2023 - 05: 52 GMT
The widespread German network Deutsche Welle has highlighted the persistence of widespread violations of women ’ s rights in Saudi Arabia despite alleged government reforms.
World - Saudi Arabia
Saudi authorities continue to discriminate against women as second-class citizens with an unchanging authoritarian guardianship system and strict disobedience laws and rules that restrict the rights of unmarried women.
Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the so-called “social and economic reform ” dubbed Vision 2030 in April 2016, the status of women has changed dramatically, with the network seeing that some laws were in favor of women and others headed for the worse.
While women activists like Loujain al-Hathloul were jailed for three years following a drive for women to drive, the relevant legislation was changed in 2018 — and according to research firm Statista — within a year and a half, more than 175,000 women applied.
Driving license in Riyadh.
Other laws have been amended since 2018, meaning women are now allowed to apply for a passport without the consent of a male guardian and go to cinemas with their boyfriends.
Lina al-Hathloul, the sister of women ’ s activist Loujain al-Hathloul, who is the head of communications and surveillance at the London-based ALQST Human Rights Organisation, said: “The regime of repression is still in place ” in Saudi Arabia.
Because of the male guardianship system, girls and women still rely on male guardian consent for most decisions.
In case of disobedience, these guardians, who could be fathers, husbands, brothers or sons, are entitled to be sent to so-called “care homes ” — forever, al-Hathloul said.
Moreover, this year, three court rulings starkly emphasized the Saudi ambivalence between men and women.
In January, a court in the city convicted Yasser M.
Verbal sexual harassment of a woman.
He was sentenced to eight months in prison and a fine of 5,000 rials (1,265 euros / $1,330).
Yasir M was one of the first cases to be convicted following the tightening of Saudi legislation to combat sexual harassment in 2019.
But in August, PhD student Salma al-Shehab, 34, was sentenced to 34 years in prison, and a month later Noura bint Saeed al-Qahtani was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Both were convicted of retweeting human rights calls.
“The result is fear — people no longer know what the red lines are, ” said al-Hathloul. For her, the liberation of women ’ s rights over the past four years is nowhere near what Saudi women really want.
“We want to live in Saudi Arabia without fear and be able to claim our rights. ”
According to the 2019 Women, Peace and Security Index (WPS), Saudi Arabia ranks lowest globally.
According to the index, female labor force participation remains low across the region despite a rapid rise in female education rates and improved access to health care.
Women hold only 16 per cent of legislative seats in MENA countries compared to 25 per cent globally.
Certain States actively suppress women's rights by persecuting women's rights activists.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Saudi Arabia, where authorities arbitrarily arrest and detain women ’ s rights leaders with impunity.
The authorities of the House of Saud, a legitimate permanent resident of the United States, arrested Aziza al-Yousef in May 2018 on charges related to her peaceful human rights activism.
Despite her provisional release in March 2019, Ms. Al-Yousef cannot leave the Kingdom due to pending charges in court.
Source: Saudi Leaks

Despite the challenges, MBS's reforms have been widely praised for their potential to transform Saudi society and economy.

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

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

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

The 2030 vision has also included plans to develop the entertainment and tourism sectors, with the goal of making Saudi Arabia a more attractive destination for visitors and investors.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 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?

To attract foreign investment
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

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

This has included the establishment of a new tourism authority, which has been tasked with promoting Saudi Arabia's cultural and natural heritage.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

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

The authority's CEO, Fahd Hamidaddin, has stated that the goal is to make Saudi Arabia one of the top tourist destinations in the world, with a focus on showcasing the country's unique culture and history.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

In terms of economic reforms, MBS has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at diversifying the economy and reducing dependence on oil.

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?

These initiatives include the establishment of a new economic zone, which will be focused on developing industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and technology.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

To drive development in high-tech
To reduce Saudi Arabia's oil dependence
To drive development in manufacturing

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?

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

The zone is expected to create thousands of new jobs and attract significant foreign investment.

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

Overall, MBS's 2030 vision for Saudi Arabia represents a significant shift in the country's social and economic trajectory.

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

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

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

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?

While there are still many challenges to be addressed, the reforms introduced by MBS have the potential to transform Saudi society and economy, and make the country a more modern and prosperous place.

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

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

According to a study by the Center for International Communications, the 2030 vision has been successful in promoting a more moderate and tolerant form of Islam, which is seen as a key aspect of MBS's reforms.

Title:

Content: Study: The Crown Prince ’ s philosophy of management is a compass for the Kingdom ’ s renaissance and achievements within the framework of “Vision 2030 ”
She said he takes a strategic approach based on inclusivity, a duality of modernization, originality, boldness and realism.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Al-Qarar Center for Media Studies has issued a new study that provides an analytical reading of the philosophy of His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the administration, which represents a compass for the Kingdom ’ s renaissance and its successes and achievements within the framework of the pioneering development vision “Saudi Vision 2030 ”.
This came in conjunction with the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the pledge of His Highness as Crown Prince.
The study was based on the monitoring and analysis of a series of speeches, speeches, meetings, statements and statements of His Highness the Crown Prince (may God protect him), the number of which reached (16) articles during the period from 2018 to the current year 2022.
The study concluded with a set of results, including the Crown Prince ’ s adoption of a strategic approach to management based on several pillars, most notably comprehensiveness in approach, dual modernization and originality, boldness and realism, in addition to uniqueness and excellence, universality of presentation, as well as openness to all, and always looking forward.
The study pointed to the adoption of His Highness the Crown Prince in his speeches and statements primarily on logical probabilities in the process of influence and persuasion, through addressing the mind with evidence and proofs, using the language of numbers, logical reasoning, and comparisons between the past, present and the future, in addition to proving what has been achieved on the ground effectively, and citing the reports of international institutions.
The study pointed out that Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may Allah support him, is betting in achieving the comprehensive development process on the Kingdom's own capabilities, especially the great Saudi people.
She pointed out that the language of his speech includes many central actors, which he always mentions clearly, most notably the Saudis, especially the young men and women of the Kingdom, as well as the economic, social, cultural and civilizational potential of the Kingdom, as well as the regional and international status of the Saudi state, whether at the economic, political or Islamic level.
The decision center study concluded that HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may God protect him, follows a philosophy based on inclusiveness and renewal in all aspects of life, noting that HRH was able to convey the conviction of his comprehensive development project "Vision 2030" to every Saudi citizen, which made the people united in order to achieve the desired progress.
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What has MBS done since becoming Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia?

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

Combating extremist and ideological thinking

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

The study found that MBS's approach to Islam is focused on promoting a more inclusive and accepting form of the religion, which is seen as a key aspect of his 2030 vision.

In conclusion, MBS's 2030 vision for Saudi Arabia represents a significant shift in the country's social and economic trajectory, with a focus on promoting a more modern and tolerant form of Islam, improving women's rights, and diversifying the economy.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

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

And women's workforce participation doubled to 36%

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

allow recreational activities; Saudi women benefit from relaxed restrictions

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

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

While there are still many challenges to be addressed, the reforms introduced by MBS have the potential to transform Saudi society and economy, and make the country a more prosperous and attractive place for visitors and investors.

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

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?


The slow food movement has its roots in Italy, where it was founded in the late 1980s by Carlo Petrini as a response to the arrival of fast food chains in Rome.

The movement's main driver was the desire to promote traditional food preparation methods and locally sourced ingredients, and to raise awareness about the negative impact of the industrial food system on society, the economy, and the environment.

The tenets of the slow food movement include celebrating local and traditional food, promoting seasonality, and reducing the environmental impact of food production.

Today, the slow food movement has spread globally, with over 100,000 members in more than 150 countries, and is supported by proponents such as Andrea Amato, Daniel Cruse, and Aruna Tirkey, who are working to promote slow food practices and preserve traditional food cultures.

To sample the best slow food cuisine, one can visit places like the Causeway Coast and Glens in Northern Ireland, which has been accredited as a Slow Food destination, or attend events like the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Italy, which showcases slow food from around the world.

The slow food movement has also been promoted in Taiwan, particularly in the city of Taitung, which has hosted international slow food forums and festivals, featuring representatives from countries like Italy, the Philippines, India, and Malaysia.

These events have helped to raise awareness about the importance of slow food and have provided a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences between slow food practitioners from different parts of the world.

The slow food movement has its roots in Italy, where it was founded in the late 1980s by Carlo Petrini as a response to the arrival of fast food chains in Rome.

Title:

Content: Praise the slow pace of life.
Explore the fun of the world calmly
The idea of slow living negates the belief that a successful person should be busy or fast, and encourages the person to be present consciously at every moment.
Once the society is saturated with the new, it returns to the past, and this is what happens in art, decoration, fashion, and social trends.
From here, too, the slow pace of life can be seen as a return to the old calm in some way, after the rhythm of life has become too fast to keep up with.
The idea of a slow life can be a convenient orientation for those who are looking for a calm state of mind, trying to take a long-term view of life and the world away from constant stress, anxiety and gasping.
Slow living helps us live more consciously and clearly with what we value and need in life, where we do everything at the right speed, rather than constantly striving for speed.
The idea of slow living negates the belief that a successful person must be busy or fast, and encourages the person to be present consciously at every moment.
Life is better, not faster.
The idea of slow living is part of the broader slow movement that began in the 1980s in Italy.
After opening McDonald ’ s restaurants in the heart of Rome, Carlo Petrini and a group of activists formed a movement defending regional food traditions called Slow Food.
Over time, the movement has gained supporters in more than 150 countries, trying to encourage the enjoyment of good food and conscious consumption that encourages respect for seasonality, and to minimize the negative impact on the environment of food production.
Carlo Petrini ’ s idea began to take shape when he noticed the disconnect between farmer and consumer, due to the huge boutiques and fast food restaurants that fed central Rome and dramatically eroded local food traditions.
Carl Honoré, one of the most famous theorists of the idea of slow living, helped bring the idea to areas other than food when he published a book in Praise of Slow in 2004.
Awareness is growing about slow travel, slow thinking and slow action, all of which are examples of the different branches of the slow living movement.
Not all slowness is negative.
As more people were forced to slow down their lifestyle, interest in slow living increased during the epidemic period.
The search for the term slow life has increased by 4 times in Google and YouTube.
Although some of these images and videos depict a romantic rural life far from reality, for most people, the increase in research related to this content shows the desire to return to nature and seek hobbies closer to it, especially as a large number of people turned to remote work, which gave the opportunity to connect more with the self and search for what is truly pleasing, which is forgotten in the midst of a fast and breathless life.
The slow life movement gets rid of the negative connotations of the word "slow", which some may associate with laziness and non-productivity.
Carl Honoré explains the difference between good slowness and negative slowness, as good slowness is the deliberate slowness to do things at the right speed to achieve the best result.
On the other side, there is also good speed and bad speed.
Speed can be exciting and exhilarating in the right circumstances while the rush to finish things from just above the surface without going deep is just the opposite, because it causes distraction and is difficult to prioritize.
Essential elements of slow living
Slow living doesn ’ t mean we give up technology and fall back into old times, but it does help us give up distracting activities, make us reclaim our own time to become more present and aware of every moment in life, and help build stronger relationships and spend quality time with friends and children.
It also helps us build our own values, design the lifestyle that suits us, and dedicate time to what we ’ re really looking for, not what the fast-paced lifestyle of the planet forces us to do.
A slow life entails taking a break and redefining our relationship with things like a phone, tablet, or other gadgets like them, and then making room for screen-free time.
Honoré says, “The cornerstone of slow living is to form balanced and more humane relationships with modern technologies.
“We have to somehow learn when to go ahead with technology and when to slow down and stop moving between social media, the Netflix screen or even aimlessly surfing the internet. ”
Honoré also emphasizes the need to let go of the fear of rejection or being lost, and instead of trying to do everything, we should choose only what matters to us and touches us, without the worry of saying the word “no ”.
We must say no to everything that does not concern us and not increase the burden we place on ourselves.
We have to prioritize carefully and let everything else go, having grown tired of the speed with which we feel we are racing rather than actually living our lives.
We always wait for a moment other than the moment we live, which makes us feel that our lives are vanishing in vain.
Slow life solidifies deep pleasures and strong emotions, away from entertainment and shallow pleasures that fade away shortly and leave us burdened with feelings of frustration and loneliness.
Source: Websites

What happened after the opening of McDonald's restaurants in Rome opened?

When did Carlo Petrini launch the Slow Food Movement?

Who is founder of the Slow Food Movement?

Carlo Petrini
An Italian sociologist and activist

The movement's main driver was the desire to promote traditional food preparation methods and locally sourced ingredients, and to raise awareness about the negative impact of the industrial food system on society, the economy, and the environment.

What are the supporters of slow food movement advocating?

On returning to traditional food methods

What is the purpose of Taiwan's Taitung County Government ito hold the "SLOW SUPER Taitung Slow Farmer Market"?

To promote sustainable agricultural development

The tenets of the slow food movement include celebrating local and traditional food, promoting seasonality, and reducing the environmental impact of food production.

Title:

Content: Breaking The Industrial Cycle With Slow Food

Where do you go to get your groceries? If your first thought was your local supermarket, you are not alone. Shopping in large grocery stores became the norm for many of us, and we rely on these outlets more than we realise. They are convenient, filled to the brim with seemingly every product you could imagine and have a price point that fits most pockets.

From afar it seems like the perfect solution, but we all witnessed what happened in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic turned life on its head and among many others, highlighted the fragility of our food economy and the part supermarkets play in it.

The University of Oxford describes our food system as “a complex set of interconnected practices and relationships that ultimately deliver food from farms, processing facilities, factories, warehouses, and retailers, to the dinner table.”

Slow Food

The industrial food system is built for scale and efficiency with an aim to maximise production, reduce cost, and function much like factories.

Although many supermarkets and producers are taking steps to include the origins of their products on their labels, there is still not enough transparency around where our food actually comes from. This industrialised structure offers customers accessibility to a wider range of products at more affordable prices but has economic and environmental impacts that many are not aware of.

Industrial agriculture is notorious for using a range of fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides in their processes to maximise output, some of which stays present in the soil long after the crops are harvested. The products are then processed in factories, stabilised with preservatives and packaged in plastic, all occurring before they are loaded onto long haul freights, planes, lorries to arrive in distribution centres and eventually to supermarket shelves.

BBC Good Food reported that “DEFRA estimates that moving food is responsible for 25 per cent of all miles covered by heavy goods traffic in the UK. Transporting food within, to and around the UK produces 19 million tonnes of CO2 annually – equivalent to around 5.5 million typical cars.”

The length of the supply chains involved in industrial food systems result in a fragile structure as any slight disruption throughout the intricate process can halt the supply chain at any time.

However, this industrial food system is not the only one available to our economy. While our modern supermarkets heavily rely on large-scale agriculture, large scale production and precise, uninterrupted international food trade and fast turnaround times, the alternative slow food system focuses on a more resilient structure.

As the resilient alternative to this industrial cycle that many in the industry are championing, Slow Food is focused on returning to the traditional methods and celebrating all things local.

The not for profit grassroots organisation, Slow Food was set up in Italy in the late 1980s in a bid to promote traditional food preparation methods and locally sourced ingredients, going against the arrival of the American fast-food chain McDonald’s in Rome. The eco-gastronomic organisation now has around 100,000 members in over 150 countries.

Recognising and raising awareness of the negative impact the industrial food system had on society, the economy and the environment, the organisation ignited a Slow Food movement: a new way of conscious consumerism that takes seasonality, locality and tradition into account.

A slow, or resilient food system can take on many forms, starting with us as individuals making a conscious effort to engage with producers, venues and outlets that are aligned with the slow food values, to foraging, growing our own produce and going to local farmers’ markets.

Any involvement in the movement can make a significant difference in local communities and build a more sustainable, resilient and eco-friendly food system.

As the first accredited Slow Food destination in Northern Ireland, the Causeway Coast and Glens have been spearheading the move toward this resilient system and together with Taste Causeway, the collaborative network of local food and drink businesses.

From exciting slow food events to highlighting producers and awarding them with Slow Food accreditation, Taste Causeway and Slow Food NI are putting local suppliers and venues at the forefront of consumers’ minds, one business at a time.

To find out more about how you can support the Slow Food movement, the businesses involved and the upcoming events on the Causeway Coast, go to https://slowfood.tastecauseway.com/

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What are the supporters of slow food movement advocating?

On returning to traditional food methods

What is the purpose of Taiwan's Taitung County Government ito hold the "SLOW SUPER Taitung Slow Farmer Market"?

To promote sustainable agricultural development

Today, the slow food movement has spread globally, with over 100,000 members in more than 150 countries, and is supported by proponents such as Andrea Amato, Daniel Cruse, and Aruna Tirkey, who are working to promote slow food practices and preserve traditional food cultures.

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Content: Taitung ’ s first ever International Slow Food Forum will be held on April 28!
International slow food representatives from Italy, the Philippines, India and Malaysia gathered at the Taitung County Government Hall to share the experience of slow food promotion around the world, and exchange and learn with local slow food practitioners in Taitung, making Taitung a new base for dialogue with the international slow food movement and linking up the southern island culture.
The slow food movement originated in Italy, has been popular around the world for more than 30 years, and has been promoted in Taitung for 10 years.
The slow food spirit of “Good quality, clean and fair ” comes from Italy, but it has grown up in Taitung with a rich variety of local features.
The Taitung County government specially invited seven international slow food activists and local slow food practitioners from Taitung County to exchange ideas on the eve of the first slow food festival this year, “from the festival to the day, from the traditional to the contemporary. ” The theme is to explore how traditional food culture can be practiced in contemporary society through the Slow Food Movement, and how the international Slow Food Movement can blossom in all corners of the world through the diverse participation of citizens and community power.
On the agenda, Andrea Amato and Daniel Cruse, from the International Slow Food Headquarters in Italy, first introduced the expansion of Slow Food from Italy to the world, and shared the classic Ark of Taste and Slow Food Presidia projects of the Slow Food movement.
In response to the International Year of Xiaomi 2023, Indian representative Aruna Tirkey will introduce the Xiaomi Kitchen in Jharkhand, India.
Nazlina Spice Station in Malaysia is an introduction to the local cuisine, starting from Laksa, to the preservation of Penang ’ s food culture.
Community power is also an important theme of this forum. The Gonnay couple from the Philippines and Ramon Uy Jr will discuss how the Slow Food movement can achieve the function of cultural inheritance and food farming education through community connection from family, community, organization, market, and tourism.
The local representative of Taitung, ibu istanda takiscibanan of the Bunun tribe, shared the history of restoring millet in the Kandeng tribe of Haiduan Township; Guo Lijin, CEO of Jinhetang, will talk about the experience and future vision of slow food in Taitung for ten years; and many Taitung slow food chefs and shop owners will join hands to show the strength of the cohesion in the local community.
Simultaneous real-time interpretation service is available, and people who are interested in promoting slow food are welcome to join us.
For details and registration, please go to
https: / / www.accupass.com / go / TTSlowFoodForum
2023 Taitung Slow Food International Forum
From Festivals to Everyday, From Tradition to Contemporary
Date: 4 / 28 (Fri) 09: 00-16: 30
Venue: Taitung County Government Hall
Taitung County Government Advertisements
# Slow Food # Taitung # International # Slow Food Movement # Italy

How many countries have members of Slow Food organization?

How many members does the Slow Food Movement have globally?

What are the supporters of slow food movement advocating?

On returning to traditional food methods

What happened after the opening of McDonald's restaurants in Rome opened?

To sample the best slow food cuisine, one can visit places like the Causeway Coast and Glens in Northern Ireland, which has been accredited as a Slow Food destination, or attend events like the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Italy, which showcases slow food from around the world.

What are the supporters of slow food movement advocating?

On returning to traditional food methods

What is  the first accredited Slow Food destination in Northern Ireland?

The slow food movement has also been promoted in Taiwan, particularly in the city of Taitung, which has hosted international slow food forums and festivals, featuring representatives from countries like Italy, the Philippines, India, and Malaysia.

Title:

Content: Local Local Focus
Taitung Slow Food is highly recognized by international guests
▲ International Slow Food representatives from Italy, the Philippines, India and Malaysia were invited to participate in the Taitung Slow Food Festival organized by the Taitung County Government. (Photo by reporter Yang Han-sheng)
Journalist Yang Han-sheng / reporting from Taitung
International Slow Food representatives from Italy, the Philippines, India and Malaysia were invited to attend the Taitung Slow Food International Forum, Taitung Slow Food Festival and Food Culture Exchange Workshop organized by the Taitung County Government. Studying together.
The Taitung County Government said that the seven international slow food representatives invited this time are all advocates who have been working hard on slow food for many years, including two representatives from the International Slow Food Headquarters in Italy: Andrea Amato, head of developing countries in the Department of International Affairs, Daniel Cruse, commissioner of Asia; Ramon Uy Jr., who is the Southeast Asia regional advisor of the International Slow Food Organization, also the Philippines Negros Island Co-founders: Nazlina Binti Hussin from Malaysia, founder and CEO of Nazlina Spice Station; Aruna Tirkey, founder of Oraon Slow Food in Jharkhand, India; and Rowena Gonnay and Laren Gonnay from the Philippines, both founders of Pasil Slow Food in the Philippines.
During the 5 days of carefully arranged activities and itineraries, the international Slow Food representatives not only went to the Kandeng Tribe in Haiduan Township to learn about the history of Bunun people preserving traditional millet, but also experienced traditional icibi in the Dalumak Tribe in Peinan Township, and cooked aboriginal cuisine from the Philippines and India in the tribe ’ s outdoor kitchen, as well as Laksa, Malaysia ’ s most classic tradition. The food community partners to communicate and improve.
Aruna Tirkey, from India, was very surprised to see the successful restoration of the traditional crop of the Gaiana workshop in Kandeng tribe, which is also the traditional crop of her hometown. Denial, representative of the International Slow Food Headquarters, said that Taiwan was the first overseas country he visited after joining Slow Food, and what he saw and heard will always remain in his heart.
At the same time, we also participated in the 2023 Taitung Slow Food Festival - Morning Table, allowing international guests to fully experience the Taitung breakfast culture presented in 43 booths, and perform traditional dishes from their hometowns during the Slow Food Festival.
On the eve of his return to China, Governor Rao Qingling specially invited international guests to a gourmet dance celebration in the form of Pakelang, a harvest or work ending.
During the evening banquet, Andrea Amato, representative of the International Slow Food Headquarters, believes that the results of Taitung Slow Food ’ s promotion for many years have been quite fruitful, and the local slow food community and festivals belonging to Taitung have been developed. The Taitung experience.
While Ramon Uy Jr from the Philippines, who is committed to promoting Slow Food Travel, and Rowena Gonnay, founder of Pasil Slow Food Organization in the Philippines, Lamen Gonnay, during their stay in Taitung, strongly felt the resonance of the Austronesian ethnic culture in food and values, and said that the first time to Taiwan, I was a bit upset, but I saw millet, glutinous betel nut trees, Rice wine, these are very similar to home, feel like home!
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How many countries have members of Slow Food organization?

What was the host of the International Slow Food Forum of 2023?

Which county in Taiwan has hosted Slow Food Festival?

These events have helped to raise awareness about the importance of slow food and have provided a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences between slow food practitioners from different parts of the world.

What are the supporters of slow food movement advocating?

On returning to traditional food methods

What is the purpose of Taiwan's Taitung County Government ito hold the "SLOW SUPER Taitung Slow Farmer Market"?

To promote sustainable agricultural development