Mohammed bin Salman launched Vision 2030 in 2016 to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil revenue.

Vision 2030 aims to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on oil revenue, including a $500 billion NEOM city project and attracting 30 million foreign tourists by 2030.

Non-oil revenues are expected to reach $267 billion and comprise 50% of Saudi GDP by 2030.

Mohammed bin Salman has introduced social reforms, including allowing women to drive and attend events without male consent, and abolishing the guardianship system for women.

Women's labor force participation has increased significantly, reaching 35.9% in 2023, with the Vision 2030 target of a 30% women's labor market contribution by 2030.

The Crown Prince has restricted the Wahhabi establishment to promote a more moderate form of Islam, significantly impacting Saudi society and leading to social and economic changes.

Vision 2030 prioritizes education, job creation, and economic diversification, as well as promoting cultural changes and shifting the country's focus, including promoting a secular identity.

However, Saudi Arabia's human rights record remains under international criticism due to its high execution rates, including 147 in 2022, and the reforms have been criticized for prioritizing Saudi Arabia's global presence over human rights concerns.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been linked to several controversies, including dissident detentions and Jamal Khashoggi's murder, and at least 52 women are in Saudi prisons for freedom of expression despite advancements in women's rights.

Mohammed bin Salman launched Vision 2030 in 2016 to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil revenue.

Title:

Content: Saudi Crown Prince: We are preparing to announce Vision 2040
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in an interview with Fox News that the kingdom is preparing to announce Vision 2040 with the aim of diversifying the economy away from oil, noting that this “will be in 2027 or 2028. ”
In 2016, the Saudi crown prince launched the Kingdom ’ s Vision 2030.
The total value of real estate and infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia, launched since the vision was announced, has exceeded $1.25 trillion, while the value of projects that have been approved has reached $250 billion, according to a recent report.
The Saudi crown prince said Saudi Arabia was one of the fastest growing countries in the G20, “and we are competing with India in terms of rapid growth rates. ”
Saudi Arabia achieved the highest growth rate among the G20 countries last year, with its economy growing 8.7 percent, the highest since 2011.
On the other hand, Prince Mohammed bin Salman pointed out that the United States was “planning to sign a joint infrastructure plan with India, countries in the Middle East and the European Union, with the aim of linking them through a network of railways and sea routes, ” adding that Washington was quietly working on the project with India, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with the aim of linking the Middle East countries by rail, and India through shipping lines from the region ’ s ports to Europe.
On the sidelines of the G20 summit in India this month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding on an economic corridor project linking India, the Middle East and Europe.
The Kingdom and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a protocol that will contribute to the establishment of transcontinental green corridors to enhance energy security and clean energy development efforts, facilitate the transfer of renewable electricity and clean hydrogen through cables and pipelines, as well as the construction of railways, trade, and increase the passage of goods through rail and port connections.
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Content: Spain: Saudi Arabia will not move UNWTO headquarters to its territory
Previous meeting of the World Tourism Organization.
(Internet)
The Spanish Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Saudi Arabia will not seek to move the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) currently in Madrid to its territory.
A source in the ministry said that « the Saudi authorities confirmed that they will not submit a nomination to host the (headquarters) of the organization at the expense of Madrid », during the meeting of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization in November, in Marrakech (Morocco), according to « AFP ».
A diplomatic battle.
The United Nations organization did not confirm this information, considering it to be a matter for Member States.
In recent weeks, the Spanish government has been locked in a diplomatic battle to prevent the transfer of the only UN agency based in the country to Saudi Arabia, accusing Riyadh of working behind the scenes to make it happen.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Alparis said: “We cannot change the headquarters of international institutions out of whim.
"If that happens, it will be a challenge for Spain, but also for the balance of headquarters distribution in the multilateral system."
A senior official at Saudi Arabia ’ s tourism ministry denied any “ongoing negotiations ” in this regard.
Economic Reforms in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has launched a broad program of economic reforms in his country, the world ’ s largest oil exporter, entitled “Vision 2030 ”, to stop dependence on oil as a main source of revenue, including listing a small percentage of the oil company“ Aramco ” on the stock exchange.
He also helped make the historic decision to allow women to drive, attend sporting events and festivals, and obtain a passport without the consent of a male guardian.
He has curtailed the influence of the religious police in the conservative kingdom, allowing concerts and reopening cinemas.
The World Tourism Organization has 159 member states.
It has been led by Georgian Zurab Polikashvili since January 2018 and has been based in Madrid since 1975.
Tourism is a vital sector for Spain, the second largest tourist destination in the world after France with 83.5 million foreign tourists in 2019.
According to Madrid, this sector accounts for 12 percent of Spain ’ s GDP and comprises 13 percent of the country ’ s jobs.
More from the middle gate.

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 aims to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on oil revenue, including a $500 billion NEOM city project and attracting 30 million foreign tourists by 2030.

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."

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

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

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

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

Non-oil revenues are expected to reach $267 billion and comprise 50% of Saudi GDP by 2030.

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
What the first could not | Mohammed bin Salman.. Saudi Arabia ’ s answer to a question that no one asked
While the Middle East was looking to Western governments where young people assume leadership positions and their energies explode in order to elevate their homelands, no one expected to see a similar experience in our Arab countries soon, before circumstances gave us a chance to see the experience of Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday turned 37, the youngest crown prince in Saudi Arabia ’ s history.
On April 29, 2015, the royal order was issued to choose Prince Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince, amid a state of regional and international surprise at the unprecedented and “previous ” step, and amid anticipation of what this young man might do, the question was:“ Is he qualified to carry out the duties of this heavy position in such a great country? ”
The obvious truth is that Prince Mohammed bin Salman did more than this question and answer it, but it was an answer to a question that did not occur to him, a question about the revolution to change the face of the Kingdom and lead it towards the future.
How did the young prince change the face of the kingdom?
Prince Mohammed bin Salman has shown since his tenure the Kingdom ’ s era an open mentality that flushed the dust of reactionary and extremist thought about the Kingdom, a task that was not imagined that anyone would dare, the challenge of the common mistake is the task of misery, where he will not forgive you your sanity and will not protect you from doubt and denigrating, but the steadfast leader does not turn and go his way for the sake of his people.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman made history when his reign saw Saudi women allowed to drive and enter sports stadiums and then established the Entertainment Authority.
His views have always been clear in categorical terms, when he described “religious extremism ” as an outsider in Saudi society, and that there is no place to waste women ’ s rights according to misconceptions about Islam, as the kingdom under King Salman bin Abdulaziz abolished the guardianship system for women in 2016.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman told The Atlantic: “Before 1979 there were more flexible social customs, and there were no guardianship laws in Saudi Arabia. ”
He refers to a series of disparate pieces of legislation that have not taken the status of law since the late 1970s that have limited the rights of Saudi women as minors in need of a guardian.
Bin Salman was aware of a real understanding of the change he is leading, aware of the challenge and aware of the essence of Islam, where he described those who oppose the project of “Islamic awakening ” and the mixing of the sexes in work as“ extremism, ” saying: “These extremists are contrary to what the Prophet and the adult caliphs were like, ” and hinted at the imminence of allowing Saudi women not to wear the“ black cloak. ” It is a legal text that requires the abaya to be black or the veil to be black. ”
The decision to grant licenses to open cinemas in Saudi Arabia came after 40 years of prohibition, in addition to the decision to establish the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia.
Also, in the context of openness, in February 2020, several cultural bodies were established to take care of the Saudi cultural heritage, working to preserve and disseminate it at the national, regional and global levels after it was absent in light of the extremism prevailing in the Kingdom, and on the other hand to establish cultural sectors to contribute to economic diversification, including: the Heritage Authority, the Museums Authority, the Film Authority, the Music Authority and the Library Authority.
All this points to a young man who has a real intellectual approach and a strategy that clearly sees the future, knows how to go to it with the legacy of his country and its history.
A New Economy for Saudi Arabia
The most prominent project of the young crown prince is the "Saudi Vision 2030" plan, which aims to make the Saudi economy based on investment, in addition to not relying on oil as a basic and sole income, as he promised to end the relationship of dependence of the Saudi state on oil, which he described as "addiction".
The vision coincides with the date set for the announcement of the completion of the delivery of eighty giant government projects, which cost the least one of them the equivalent of four billion riyals.
Through this plan, and related programs, Mohammed bin Salman aims to increase Saudi non-oil revenues sixfold from about $43.5 billion annually to $267 billion annually.
In addition, the share of Saudi non-oil exports increased from 16% of Saudi GDP (in 2016) to 50% of Saudi GDP (in 2030).
As well as the giant NEOM project, the land of opportunities and dreams, announced by Prince Mohammed bin Salman in October 2017, which aspires to serve as a global commercial and economic capital that represents the spirit of the age associated with artificial intelligence.
NEOM is located in northwestern Saudi Arabia on an area of twenty-six thousand five hundred square kilometers in partnership with Egypt and Jordan.
Everything mentioned is just a tip of the iceberg, they are just examples to cite that the young prince has something beyond the youth and his enthusiasm, but he also has the vision and the necessary qualities and requirements to lead the change.

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

Mohammed bin Salman has introduced social reforms, including allowing women to drive and attend events without male consent, and abolishing the guardianship system for women.

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?

attend sporting events
Women gained permission to drive

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?

attend sporting events
Women gained permission to drive

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?

attend sporting events
Women gained permission to drive

Women's labor force participation has increased significantly, reaching 35.9% in 2023, with the Vision 2030 target of a 30% women's labor market contribution by 2030.

Title:

Content: We have lived for more than forty years in a period of darkness, especially in social and cultural issues, and the godfathers of that period were dark religious currents that repressed women primarily from work and participation in national development and obtaining their natural rights as in any society in the world and in some Islamic countries that used to leave the followers of those currents on winter and summer trips. This closed-minded interpretation of religion clearly influenced society for those who lived in those decades.
This stage of the abduction of the Islamic currents of society is over thanks to the vision of the Kingdom 2030, led by His Highness the Crown Prince, and some believed that its essence and objectives are economic only, but the vision as we live it now has social, cultural and religious aspects, and the Kingdom is living through a cultural revolution in its broad sense that establishes clearly the state of rights and duties protected by the laws issued successively.
I remember an answer by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman years ago at an economic conference in the Saudi capital, when he said, “We were living a normal life before 1979, and now we are returning to it in the vision project of a moderate Islam open to the world. ”
He stressed that 70% of the Saudi people are under 30 years old, and we will not waste 30 years dealing with extremist ideas, we will destroy them completely.
This is the vision of the father of the vision in the thought that our country has been pursuing for years, and with it the ideas, energy and faith of the young men and women of the homeland. Anyone who witnesses the work that is taking place in our homeland, it is clear to him that this vision is a realistic ideology and a road map to be followed by all government agencies and the private sector.
His Highness the Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said clearly and explicitly in his speech at the Human Capabilities Initiative conference in Riyadh: The past three or four decades we have lived in a phase (napping) and not an awakening, or as His Highness called it (the black box), or the black period, in terms of excluding Saudi women from participating in most fields. Creativity.
The increase in the presence of women in the Kingdom is evidenced by the fact that the participation rate of women in the labor force reached 35.9% in the fourth quarter of 2023, such figures and clear and frank discourse towards the dark forces covered by the veil of religion confirm that the vision project in all its aspects, especially social and economic, continues to move in the right direction and achieve its goals.
The speeches and assurances of His Highness the Crown Prince towards the Kingdom ’ s projects and the aspirations of the youth of the country give us confidence that human investment and development is the backbone of the national economy; which occupies the forefront of the vision ’ s projects.
The speech of His Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman gives us a conviction that the project of change in all its forms is moving forward strongly, and the employment of religion and the fallacies of weak privacy in our country is clearly gone. Yes, I understand that the (Islamist) thought has dominated in the past decades, but it is God ’ s grace that our leadership, especially the Crown Prince, has the clarity of years to deal with this deceptive misguided thought.

Title:

Content: Ahmed Murad (Cairo)
Over the past nine decades, the kings of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been keen to achieve achievements and successes at various levels, until the Kingdom has become one of the most important countries in the world, both regionally and internationally, and during the last decade has achieved unprecedented qualitative leaps at the political, economic and social levels.
The celebrations of Saudi Arabia ’ s 91st National Day this year come in light of an unprecedented cultural boom witnessed by the Kingdom, where significant strides have been made in the process of comprehensive economic development through a series of projects, programs and strategies of economic diversification, support to non-oil sectors, and the establishment of modern and sophisticated industrial entities.
During the last decade, the Kingdom hosted a number of international, Arab and Islamic summits. Saudi Arabia was visited by leaders and leaders of major countries of the world, led by US President Donald Trump, who visited Riyadh in May 2017, in his first official foreign visit since taking office.: The Saudi-American summit, the US-Gulf summit, and the US-Arab and Islamic summit, and the leaders of 55 Arab and Islamic countries participated in the three summits.
Saudi Arabia has achieved many other foreign policy successes, including the announcement of the establishment of the Council of Arab and African States bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in early 2020, which includes Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia and Yemen.
In a historic precedent that is the first of its kind in the history of the Arab region, Saudi Arabia assumed the presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2019, thus becoming the first Arab country to lead the largest international group, whose countries account for 75 percent of global trade volume and 80 percent of global economic output.
During the Saudi presidency of the G20, King Salman chaired a virtual extraordinary summit of G20 leaders hosted by Riyadh in March 2020 to coordinate international efforts in the field of combating the Corona pandemic and reducing its humanitarian and economic impact, with the participation of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Saudi Arabia has achieved many successes during its presidency of the group, providing more than 180 international initiatives and development contributions to the benefit of the countries affected by the « pandemic », worked to achieve a fairer global tax system in the digital era, and initiated policies to prevent deflation and global economic recession.
Road Map
As a result of these reforms, Saudi Arabia has been ranked by the World Bank among the top 20 reformers in the world, and the second among the top high-income countries and G20 countries in terms of implementing reforms to improve the business climate.
Saudi Vision 2030, which was launched on April 25, 2016, is at the top of the development programs adopted by the Kingdom. It is a road map towards comprehensive future national development, and aims to reduce the Kingdom ’ s dependence on oil and diversify its sources of income through a package of economic reforms unprecedented in the Kingdom ’ s history.
In December 2016, Saudi Arabia approved the National Transformation Program 2020 as one of the Vision 2030 programs, which increased private sector participation in GDP to 65 percent, saving 40 percent of government spending, as well as localizing the local component with a value of SAR 270 billion to enhance the added value of local content.
In a precedent witnessed by Saudi Arabia for the first time, the trend began to approve the general budget of the state by supporting and developing the national economy, without relying mainly on oil as the sole source of national income, which observers ranked among the most important achievements in the history of the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has also worked to transform the Saudi Public Investment Fund into a sovereign fund with assets valued at $2.5 trillion, making it the largest sovereign fund in the world.
The economic achievements achieved by Saudi Arabia in the recent period, including reducing the budget deficit by 48 percent, increasing the number of licenses granted to foreign investments by 130 percent, and moving to develop a city for the automotive industry in order to attract investments, increase exports and create jobs, and repair more than 4 million square meters of road networks.
Agricultural renaissance
Saudi Arabia has achieved many achievements in the agricultural sector, including increasing the number of known varieties in the field of fish farming, attracting international companies to enter this field, facilitating procedures and transactions, raising the quality of agricultural services through the launch of the electronic platform « Zraei », and creating a new opportunity to trade dates in which Saudi dates are introduced and traded through 25 electronic stores united by one platform.
Saudi Arabia has also implemented many housing projects during the last decade, including the provision of more than 282 residential products including housing units, land and subsidized financing to promote and develop the real estate sector in various regions of the Kingdom, as well as regulating the rental market and preserving the rights of parties during the rental process through the adoption of the “Ejar ” program.
The Dar Al-Hijra project is one of the most important residential projects launched recently, and is one of the largest residential, hotel and commercial projects in Saudi Arabia, and includes 20 administrative towers, 80 residential towers, 80 hotels providing 40,000 rooms for pilgrims, as well as government, administrative and commercial offices accommodating 31,000 employees, a 400-bed hospital and a huge transit station.
Healthy Surge
The Saudi health sector has witnessed an unprecedented boom, with the launch of various health centers in recent years, including 4 for cardiac catheterization, 7 for tumors, 3 for obesity and its diseases, 5 for behavioral and developmental disorders, as well as the launch of 4 surgical robots specialized in general surgeries and urology, the establishment of an artificial intelligence laboratory for health technology research, and the upgrading of health services provided by 600 health centers.
Work has also begun on the first robotic-mediated smart pharmacy at King Fahd Specialist Hospital in Tabuk.
In terms of educational services, Saudi Arabia has adopted many programs and plans to develop education and bring about a real renaissance in this vital sector. In this context, King Salman bin Abdulaziz decided to merge the Ministries of Education and Higher Education into one ministry in the name of the Ministry of Education. International universities, and provide jobs for scholarships after their return.
Saudi Arabia has also launched many qualitative initiatives to develop university education, such as the project to develop creativity and excellence directed at faculty members, support the construction of centers of scientific excellence and research in universities, and the development of scientific research centers in universities in various ways such as the development of scientific and technical parks.
Several initiatives have been launched to develop scientific research, such as the Center of Excellence and the Distinguished Planning Code, as well as the implementation of new university projects and educational facilities in the University City of Riyadh at a cost of more than 3 billion riyals.
Empowering women
During the last decade, Saudi Arabia has achieved social reforms, where women ’ s issues and rights are at the top of the concerns of the Saudi leadership, which has been keen to implement many reforms related to women ’ s affairs, paying great attention to the empowerment of women in all fields, through Vision 2030, which aims to raise the contribution of women in the labor market from 23% to 30% by 2030.
In his speech to the Shura Council on November 20, 2019, King Salman pledged to continue efforts to empower Saudi women and raise their participation rates in the public and private sectors, expressing his pride in increasing women ’ s economic participation rate from 19.4 percent by the end of 2017 to 23.2 percent by the end of the second half of 2019.
On December 12, 2015, Saudi women were on a date with a historic event happening for the first time in the history of the Kingdom, where the first municipal elections were held in which women participated as voters and candidates, during which 21 women won seats in municipal councils.
As part of the Kingdom ’ s keenness to empower Saudi women in the legislative and parliamentary fields, it was decided to increase the representation of women in the Consultative Council, which consists of 150 members, including 30 women, by 20 percent of the total members.
On September 26, 2017, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia issued a historic decision allowing women to obtain a driving license in accordance with Sharia regulations, and Saudi women began driving cars since June 24, 2018, in implementation of the historic decision issued by King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
In February 2019, Princess Reema bint Bandar was appointed as the Kingdom ’ s ambassador to the United States, becoming the first Saudi woman to hold this position, and in the same year, a royal decree was issued to appoint a batch of women to the rank of investigative lieutenant in the Saudi Public Prosecution.
Thirteen women have also been appointed to the new Human Rights Commission Council, representing half of its members, pursuant to an order issued by King Salman.
Countering terrorism
In mid-December 2015, Saudi Arabia announced the formation of a military coalition of 41 countries under its leadership to fight terrorism, and it was agreed to establish a headquarters for the coalition in Riyadh.
On May 21, 2017, Saudi Arabia launched the Global Center for Combating Extremist and Terrorist Thought (Etidal) in Riyadh, with the aim of countering terrorism and spreading tolerance and coexistence among peoples, in the presence of King Salman, US President Donald Trump, and leaders and heads of several countries.
On July 20, 2017, a royal order was issued to establish the Presidency of State Security in an important step on the road to the war on terrorism, and the agency works to combat terrorism security and intelligence, monitor its financing financially, as well as communicate with the relevant authorities externally.
On October 25, 2017, Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with the United States, established the Riyadh-based International Terrorist Financing Targeting Center.
Neom
During the last decade, Saudi Arabia has launched a large number of mega development projects, most notably the NEOM project, with total investments estimated at $500 billion, the Red Sea project, which includes the establishment of tourist resorts on more than 50 natural islands between the cities of Amlaj and Al Wajh, which extends on a coast of more than 200 kilometers in the Red Sea, as well as another project to redevelop the waterfront of Jeddah Corniche. Spark, with investments estimated at $1.6 billion, as well as the development and development of the petrochemical sector in Ras Al Khair Industrial City.
Other industrial cities were also established, such as Jubail and Yanbu.
The Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport project in Madinah is among the most important projects launched by the Kingdom in the last decade, with a capacity of more than 8 million passengers annually in its first phase, and is planned to accommodate more than 40 million passengers annually in the third phase.
Saudi Arabia has also been keen to complete many expansion projects for the Two Holy Mosques, through the launch of five projects for the expansion of the Grand Mosque in its third phase, which included squares, tunnels and the building for services.
In addition, the “Haramain Train ” project represents one of the most prominent and important achievements in this regard, especially as the train reduces the journey distance for pilgrims from Mecca to Medina.

The Crown Prince has restricted the Wahhabi establishment to promote a more moderate form of Islam, significantly impacting Saudi society and leading to social and economic changes.

Title:

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.

Title:

Content: The Haddad.
“Son of Solomon ” uses the Shaykh al-Fawzan to expiate those who do not call for the guardian!
(Witness)
After Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman turned it into a mere “tail ” and stripped it of all its powers, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice published a new fatwa of a member of the Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh Saleh Al-Fouzan explaining the rule of those who refuse to pray to the Crown Prince, in a message addressed after the high level of public awareness and their opposition to the policies of“ Bin Salman ”.
According to the fatwa published through the Authority ’ s account on the microblogging site “Twitter ” and monitored by“ Watan ”, a question was received for “Al-Fouzan ” asking for opinion on who says I do not need to pray for the guardian, to respond“ Al-Fouzan ” saying: “Because you do not like the guardian. ”
He added: "This is evidence of hypocrisy because the guardian of Muslims loves and is called to him and this is the year of the believers that they love the rulers of the affairs of Muslims and pray for them success and guidance and help because their guidance is guidance to Muslims."
He said that the prayer of the rulers of the matter is one of advice, adding: "Religion is advice to Allah, His Messenger and the Imams of Muslims and their people."
He pointed out that the predecessors were calling for the imams of Muslims on the pulpits and their guidance and goodness.
This is good for the Muslims, and this is only denied by those who have the “spirit of the Kharijites, ” according to him.
The role of “Ibn Salman ” in the destruction of the religious institution
It is noteworthy that unlike the previous rulers of the Kingdom, some of whom carried reformist selves such as King Fahd bin Abdulaziz in the 1980s and King Abdullah in the past stage.
No one dared to challenge the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia as King Salman and his son did.
Since their arrival, they have worked to limit their role and reduce their impact in preparation for neutralizing them in a second stage.
Mohammed bin Salman ’ s reform initiatives have never been taken into account, especially with regard to restricting the function of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which previously served as a tool for imposing totalitarian militancy within Saudi Arabia and a determinant of the kingdom ’ s closed social and cultural landscape.
The new Saudi Arabia has for some time been trying to distance itself little by little from the radical religious trend.
In this context, several steps have been taken that have severely curtailed the role of the religious establishment and domesticated it.
In order to publicize the king and his crown prince and not to hinder the latter's effort to liquidate the remaining voices rejecting his policy.
The blasphemy of the Muslim Brotherhood
Mohammed bin Salman was largely successful when in November 2020 the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars issued a statement declaring the Muslim Brotherhood “a terrorist group that does not represent the method of Islam. ”
And follow its partisan goals contrary to the guidance of our religion, and cover up religion and practice what is contrary to the division and fomenting sedition and terrorism. ”
It is a political move par excellence that demonstrates bin Salman ’ s fear of certain Islamist currents and well-known leaders that could undermine his new authoritarian program.
Abandoning “Wahhabism ”
Bin Salman didn ’ t stop there, so he moved to top speed.
Soon, the crown prince put forward his project to reform the kingdom ’ s religious status, which could be called Islamic prestroika.
It calls for the first time to break with the Salafi Wahhabi school and abandon the vast arsenal of prophetic hadiths on which jurists have relied for centuries and have formed with the time the religiosity common today.
Arrest of Religious Scholars
Through his security arm and repressive apparatus, Mohammed bin Salman was able to divide the category of scholars into two categories.
The first section is an opponent who is branded as a traitor and working against the best interests of the country and carries a foreign agenda, silencing his voice and being sent to the cellars of prisons and detention centers.
The second venerates and elevates its status to become the ruler ’ s breadwinner to demolish the existing and replace it with a different model.
As a result, fatwas emerged in Saudi Arabia that legitimized the decisions of the Saudi crown prince, shined his image and defended his erroneous steps to absorb and degrade criticism.
Like the Imam of the Haram Abdul Rahman al-Sudais, who praised what he called “the march of renewal under the auspices of its rulers, and the keenness and interest of the ambitious young man updated inspiring the crown prince of this guarded country.
He continued with his vision of renewal and his vision of modernization despite the threats and pressures. ”
At a time when his country ’ s authorities assassinated journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The serpent turns into a son of Solomon.
Other clerics quickly joined the normalisation complex with MBS ’ s project, including Ayad al-Qarni, who expressed remorse for embracing old ideas and supporting the young prince ’ s “moderate foreign policies. ”
He used all his ability to slander and slander against Turkey and its president Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the Arab siege of Qatar.
He had previously been one of the main supporters of his policies.
Abdul Aziz Al Rais and the input current
The Madkhali movement in Saudi Arabia is one of the most important propaganda tools adopted by the bin Salman regime.
To pass his agenda and his new project, he used them to strike at the Muslim Brotherhood and reinforce the hostile rhetoric directed at them.
Recently in the kingdom, there have been posters in the streets and public squares warning of what they call the Kharijites.
Some, such as controversial Salafi preacher Abdul Aziz al-Rais, have called for their execution.
Read also.
Source
Twitter is home
Salem Hanafi
- Salem Mohammed Hanafi, a Palestinian journalist and member of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
He is interested in political and Arab affairs and supervises the editing of political issues in the Hadhod section of the site "WATAN" has been tweeting out of the flock since 2018. "
He holds a Bachelor of Political Science from the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at Al-Najah University in Nablus, Palestine.
- Master of Political Science from the Faculty of Law and Economic and Political Sciences at the University of Tunis El Manar in the specialization "Political Systems".
Currently, he is enrolled in the doctoral program at the same university to present a thesis entitled: "The Salafist Current and its Impact on the Democratic Decline in the Arab Spring Countries".
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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.

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

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 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

Vision 2030 prioritizes education, job creation, and economic diversification, as well as promoting cultural changes and shifting the country's focus, including promoting a secular identity.

Title:

Content: The square project.
A new step by bin Salman for “changing identity ”? | Politics and economics | In-depth analysis with a broader perspective than DW | DW | 12.03.2023
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The square project.
A new step by bin Salman to “change identity ”?
Is Saudi Arabia moving towards more identity modernization?
A new project in the capital Riyadh mimics the shape of the Kaaba, in a context that is witnessing a shift from the Saudi leadership towards easing the historical and religious dimension.
The giant cube in the middle of the new square project has nothing to do with the Kaaba in Mecca, although there is a similarity in the geometry.
A huge project announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman under the name of "Square Project" in the capital Riyadh, with a width, height and length of 400 meters, which will be in the center of Riyadh, with the aim of developing the largest "Downtown", where the Saudi leadership plans to be the largest city center in the world.
The project includes "an innovative museum, a university specializing in technology and design, a multi-use theater and areas for live and entertainment shows," the Saudi Press Agency announced a few days ago, and is scheduled to be completed in 2030.
The project resembles the Kaaba in its geometric form, which has left a great controversy on social media sites.
Bruno Schmidt Fuerherd, a political analyst from Cambridge University, told DW that “in the Saudi public sphere, religion is increasingly being replaced by culture, ” denying that cube-shaped architecture is something specific to the Kaaba.
Change Date of Incorporation
This new square is not the only change in Saudi Arabia; it has been preceded by other steps that confirm a trend towards modernizing the country.
For the first time, the anniversary of the founding of the Saudi state was celebrated last year, and the occasion was designated on February 22 of each year, known as "Foundation Day", in addition to the Saudi National Day celebrated on September 23 of each year, and dates back to the occasion of the unification of Saudi Arabia in 1932.
The most important thing in establishing the "Foundation Day" is to change the date of the founding of the country from 1744 to 1727.
The year 1744 is linked to the agreement between the ruling Al Saud family and the cleric Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the leader of the so-called Wahhabi Islam, who remained in control of Saudi Arabia for decades.
The agreement includes Abdul Wahab's support for the House of Saud in power, from a religious point of view, while the ruling family financially supports the Wahhabi family and allows it to have authority over education and public morals, and even laws were the same Wahhabi.
In 1727, it is related to the rise to power of Mohammed bin Saud as the founder of the first Saudi state, after his control of the Emirate of Diriyah north of Riyadh.
“The new interpretation of the birth of the state clearly underestimates the role of religion, ” says Schmidt Feuerhard, highlighting that“ the goal is a national campaign to celebrate non-religious holidays. ”
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia declared Flag Day, a day officially celebrated for the first time on March 11, 2023, which dates back to the day the current Saudi flag was approved by King Abdulaziz.
The royal decree referred to the Testimony of Tawhid as symbolizing "the message of peace and Islam" while the sword symbolizes "strength, nobility, wisdom and prestige".
The Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs also announced major changes to the rules of the month of Ramadan, including urging not to bring children to mosques, prohibiting collection of donations inside mosques, not to be absent from work except for the utmost necessity, taking into account the conditions of people in Taraweeh prayers and supplications, and prohibiting the use of cameras in mosques.
Change in a general context
These changes have generally been accepted by a large number of Saudis, and Schmidt Fuerherd points to several explanations for the phenomenon, including sending tens of thousands of Saudis abroad with full government funding, that have made them receptive to these cultural changes in the country.
Education and job creation for Saudi youth have also become priorities for the kingdom, a key part of Vision 2030, announced by the crown prince during his rise in politics, since he was crown prince ’ s deputy.
Since 2016, Mohammed bin Salman has announced a series of decisions to change the face of the conservative kingdom.
This included diversifying the economy by not making it focused on oil, modernizing the country ’ s infrastructure, creating a recreational policy that allowed the establishment of music festivals and the opening of cinemas, and the largest beneficiaries are the women of the Kingdom, which eased restrictions on them, including allowing driving and Hajj and Umrah without a mahram, and mixing became normal, as well as abolishing the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
Mohammed bin Salman wants to modernize Saudi society without guaranteeing political freedoms
Freedom is not guaranteed!
Activist Loujain al-Hathloul spent three years in prison for defending women ’ s rights. Last year, 34-year-old Salma al-Shehab was sentenced to 34 years in prison for liking or tweeting about human rights in the kingdom. Noura bint Saeed al-Qahtani was sentenced to 45 years in prison. For the same reason.
“While there are more social freedoms, the state wants to remain the owner of change. ”
Schmidt Feuerherd says, “So any form of political activity is thwarted, and critics and opponents are portrayed as traitors to the nation. ”
Jennifer Hollis / EG

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?

However, Saudi Arabia's human rights record remains under international criticism due to its high execution rates, including 147 in 2022, and the reforms have been criticized for prioritizing Saudi Arabia's global presence over human rights concerns.

Title:

Content: Saudi Arabia and Canada agree to restore diplomatic ties
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie announced that the two countries will appoint ambassadors to each other.
Ottawa has named Jean-Philippe Lanto as its envoy to Riyadh.
Bin Salman (Gettyimages)
Saudi Arabia and Canada announced on Wednesday an agreement to restore their diplomatic relations and to close a dispute that erupted in 2018, including the expulsion of representatives and the suspension of commercial dealings, after Ottawa condemned Riyadh on the basis of its human rights record.
The kingdom ’ s foreign ministry said the agreement was mainly due to talks held by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok in November 2022.
"With the desire of both sides to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and common interests, it has been decided to restore the level of diplomatic relations with Canada to the status quo ante," it said in a statement.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry confirmed the agreement on the return of relations to the previous one.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie announced that the two countries would appoint ambassadors to each other.
Ottawa has named Jean-Philippe Lanto as its envoy to Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia did not specify who it chose to represent.
Riyadh announced in August 2018 that it had asked the Canadian ambassador to leave, recalled its ambassador in Ottawa, and froze business dealings with Canada because of what it considered “interference ” by the latter in its internal affairs.
The move followed a strong demand by Ottawa for Riyadh ’ s immediate release of civil society activists arrested by Saudi authorities as part of a wave of arrests at the time.
Saudi Arabia reiterated its rejection of diktats and any interference in its internal affairs.
Canada said it was "deeply concerned" by the move, but said it would "always stand up for the protection of human rights, especially women's rights and freedom of expression around the world".
Trudeau's government "will not hesitate to promote these values and we believe that this dialogue is essential to international diplomacy," she said.
The move to expel the ambassador entailed measures such as Saudi Arabia halting its student scholarship programs to Canada, while Arab countries took positions supporting the kingdom in the crisis.
The re-establishment of ties comes in the context of a series of recent diplomatic moves by Riyadh, which analysts believe reflect the ambitions of Saudi Arabia, especially the de facto ruler of the kingdom, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to strengthen its presence on the world stage.
One of the most notable moves in recent months has been the signing of a Chinese-sponsored deal to resume ties with Iran ’ s main regional rival after years of estrangement.
Riyadh also restored diplomatic relations with the Syrian regime after they were severed following the outbreak of the conflict in Syria in 2011, and welcomed President Bashar al-Assad to the Arab summit it hosted in Jeddah last week.
The summit itself saw the surprise participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country has been facing a large-scale invasion of Russia since early last year.
Riyadh has also opened channels of communication with the Houthi rebels in a bid to end the war it is leading against them in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia hosts representatives of both sides in the Sudanese conflict and, in cooperation with the United States, announced their agreement to a seven-day truce that officially began on Monday night.
Analysts say Riyadh ’ s agenda is clear: to reduce unrest abroad and engage in economic and social reforms at home, especially Vision 2030, which is mainly aimed at diversifying sources of income and reducing dependence on oil revenues.
Despite a series of sweeping reforms spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom ’ s human rights record continues to draw international criticism and from rights groups.
The kingdom has long been criticised for its high execution rates.
The Saudi authorities say that the defendants have exhausted all stages of litigation, stressing that "the government of the Kingdom is keen to establish security, achieve justice and implement the provisions of God in all those who encroach on the safe."
In 2022, 147 people were executed, more than double the 69 executions in 2021, according to an AFP tally.

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

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been linked to several controversies, including dissident detentions and Jamal Khashoggi's murder, and at least 52 women are in Saudi prisons for freedom of expression despite advancements in women's rights.

Title:

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Biden cooperates with Saudi Arabia ’ s central bank on tough reforms to get rid of Khashoggi ’ s shadow
2022 / 7 / 16 19: 01 （ Updated on 7 / 16 19: 41 ）
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U.S. President Joe Biden (left) flew to Saudi Arabia on the 15th to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed Salman (right) and others. (Anadolu News Agency)
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(Central News Agency reporter Zhong You Zhen Istanbul 16, the murder of dissident journalist Khashoggi, once put the reputation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Salman in jeopardy.
US President Joe Biden, who has criticized this incident, began his first trip to the Middle East in office this week and engaged with the Crown Prince. Whether the Khashoggi case has been lacklustre and whether the crown prince can rule out the road to the Middle East remains to be seen.
Since the hardline Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman became Saudi Arabia ’ s crown prince five years ago, he has pushed through a series of reforms that have shaken conservative Saudi Arabia and eliminated any threat to its status.
The 36-year-old prince is tall and often referred to by the initials MBS.
His bearded, deep voice and energy are visible everywhere, from the much-funded desert city of NEOM to the seven-year military campaign in neighbouring Yemen.
AFP reported on the 14th that Mohammed Salman is said to prefer fast food and is a player in the online game Call of Duty.
Of course, he is also super rich, not only sitting on a $500 million yacht, a French castle, and heard that he also has a painting by Renaissance magnate Leonardo da Vinci.
However, the Saudi authorities denied this rumor.
Unlike a British accent, suits and other Saudi siblings with an Oxford degree, Mohammed Salman is unique.
Dressed in a traditional robe and sandals, he entertained his family and friends at a lavish desert camp with a roast lamb meal.
In addition, he married only one wife, unlike other members of the royal family.
When King Salman ascended to the throne in early 2015, he appointed Mohammed Salman as defense minister.
Soon after, Mohammed Salman also became involved in economic policy, overseeing state-owned oil companies and Saudi military operations against Yemen.
Muhammad Salman has many titles, and the diplomatic community refers to him as “Mr. Almighty ”.
The reform-minded Crown Prince also led the most dramatic changes in Saudi Arabia's recent history.
Under his watch, the religious police are like paper tigers, the decades-old ban on women driving has become a thing of the past, and the cinema has reopened.
Film festivals, operas, heavyweight boxing and professional wrestling competitions are held.
In addition to these innovations, Mohammed Salman arrested dissidents and forced religious organizations to obey orders. In 2017, he consolidated his power in the name of anti-corruption, detaining about 200 princes and business people at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the capital, Riyadh.
Externally, the crown prince pursued a strong diplomacy that dragged Saudi Arabia into the quagmire of regional rivalries: the Yemen war, hostility to the Shiites in Iran, and the blockade of Qatar for three years.
He is also said to be involved in the detention of the Lebanese prime minister.
Author Ben Hubbard ’ s Muhammad Salman is “highly controversial. ” His supporters praise the Crown Prince as the long-awaited leader of the Middle East, while opponents attack him as a cold-blooded dictator.
In 2018, Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
U.S. intelligence believes that Mohammed Salman ’ s approval of the operation caused a serious setback to the crown prince ’ s image.
However, the crown prince has a good relationship with then-US President Donald Trump and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, and he has exchanged views with Kushner.
Agence France-Presse analysis, this contact has been a great help to the crown prince in dealing with the Khashoggi incident.
During his presidential campaign, Biden vowed to take Khashoggi ’ s murder seriously, making Saudi Arabia invisible on the world stage.
With words still in his ears, Biden arrived in Saudi Arabia on the 16th and greeted Wang with fists.
The crown prince did not respond when an American journalist shouted to Muhammad Salman, "Will you apologize to his (Khashoggi) family?"
When the reporter was taken away from the scene, a faint smile appeared on Mohammed Salman ’ s face.
According to outside analysis, this may indicate that the Crown Prince, who is less than 40 years old, returns to international politics and will be in power for more than half a century or more, with the blessing of the visit of American leaders. (Editor: Zhou Yongjie) 1110716
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Biden to discuss oil prices with Middle East countries to provide food security assistance

What internal changes has MBS implemented in Saudi Arabia?

Suppressed dissent--especially Islamist opposition