Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MBS) was appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in June 2017.

Since then, he has pursued an ambitious reform agenda encapsulated in the country's Vision 2030, a blueprint to diversify Saudi Arabia’s oil-dependent economy and foster social transformation.

Vision 2030 rests on three pillars: a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation, seeking to reshape the kingdom by 2030 through economic diversification, social reforms, and reduced dependence on oil revenues.

Economically, MBS has spearheaded major initiatives to transform Saudi Arabia into a global investment hub beyond oil.

His vision includes massive projects like the futuristic $500 billion Neom city and the Red Sea tourism development, aiming to develop sectors including tourism, renewable energy, technology, and entertainment.

Privatization efforts, such as the Aramco IPO, have sought to attract foreign investment.

The National Strategy for Industry targets industrial diversification with over 800 investment opportunities, aiming to triple industrial domestic product and exports by 2030, and create quality jobs.

Non-oil sectors have grown robustly, with a sizable increase in non-oil government revenue and GDP contributions, and the Saudi economy remains one of the fastest growing among the G20 nations.

Vision 2030 has also fostered a vibrant entertainment market, with over 2,000 events annually, a growing entertainment industry, and diversified economic activities stimulating job creation and foreign capital inflows.

On the social front, MBS has introduced significant reforms reducing the influence of the conservative Wahhabi religious establishment.

The powers of the religious police (the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice) have been curtailed, effectively shrinking their role in public life.

Public entertainment such as cinemas, concerts, and sports events have been permitted, reflecting a shift toward a more open cultural environment.

Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MBS) was appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in June 2017.

Title:

Content: Saudi King appoints Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as prime minister
Saudi Arabia ’ s King Salman bin Abdulaziz issued three royal orders on Tuesday, including appointing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as prime minister in his place, and making a cabinet reshuffle that kept the foreign and oil ministers in their posts.
Announcement
Saudi Arabia ’ s King Salman bin Abdulaziz has appointed his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the oil-rich kingdom, as prime minister in his place, a royal order said Tuesday evening.
The royal order, published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, stipulated that "the cabinet sessions we attend shall be chaired by us," meaning that the octogenarian king will preside over the sessions in which he participates despite the appointment of his young son, 37, to his post.
The king of Saudi Arabia is usually prime minister and will remain in office until his death.
The royal orders also included the appointment of Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz as defense minister after he was deputy minister.
He has been defense minister since the beginning of 2014.
According to the official Saudi Press Agency, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman retained the post of energy minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan as foreign minister, Mohammed al-Jadaan as finance minister and Khalid al-Falih as investment minister.
The kingdom has for years sought to refute speculation about the health of the 86-year-old king, who has ruled the world's top oil exporter since 2015.
In 2017, it denied reports and speculation that the king was planning to abdicate in favor of his son.
King Salman has been hospitalized twice so far this year, most recently for a week in May, according to state media.
The Saudi monarch was expected to keep his country on a steady conservative path when he came to power, but instead made a big difference in the kingdom and opened the door to power to a younger generation of the House of Saud family.
Fortify his position.
The crown prince, on the other hand, is leading his conservative kingdom with ambitious radical reforms and accelerated social changes that began with his ascension to the leadership ladder five years ago.
But at the same time, he has fortified his position as a de facto and future ruler by silencing all dissent.
The changes included granting women the right to drive, opening cinemas, welcoming foreign tourists, limiting the authority of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and hosting pop stars, heavyweight duels and other sporting events.
In parallel, he has jailed his critics and in a widespread purge of the country ’ s political and economic elite, arrested around 200 princes and businessmen at Riyadh ’ s Ritz-Carlton Hotel in a 2017 anti-corruption crackdown that has helped tighten his grip on power.
After a quick jump to the top, the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at his country ’ s consulate in Istanbul in 2018 cast a shadow over the career of Mohammed bin Salman, who had been crown prince for a year.
Opening the doors again.
US President Joe Biden ’ s visit in July, after he had pledged during his election campaign to treat the kingdom as a “pariah state ” over its human rights record and Khashoggi ’ s killing, appeared to have reopened the outer doors for the young ruler.
The sharp rise in energy prices triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine has spurred a number of Western leaders to travel to the kingdom to appeal for increased production.
Among his major projects as he seeks to diversify the kingdom ’ s oil-based economy are the construction of the futuristic mega-city of Neom at a cost of $500 billion and the economic diversification plan “Vision 2023 ”.
It also seeks to establish its position as a powerful regional power, and has been the driving force behind Saudi Arabia ’ s military intervention in Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula ’ s poorest country, to support government forces against the Iran-backed Houthis.
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Since then, he has pursued an ambitious reform agenda encapsulated in the country's Vision 2030, a blueprint to diversify Saudi Arabia’s oil-dependent economy and foster social transformation.

Title:

Content: Follow Us:
Friday, December 10, 2021

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

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

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

Written by Kate Kelly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But the progress has been uneven.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vision 2030 rests on three pillars: a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation, seeking to reshape the kingdom by 2030 through economic diversification, social reforms, and reduced dependence on oil revenues.

Title:

Content: Saudi News
National transformation initiatives support the family and society and protect their rights
Thank you for reading the news of the national transformation initiatives that support the family and society and protect their rights and we assure you that we always seek to satisfy you and now with the details
The National Transformation Program (NTP) has been instrumental in supporting the family and society, being the first operational program of the vision and the largest in terms of the number of strategic objectives. Since its inception in 2016, the program has contributed to the launch of a number of qualitative initiatives that serve the family and the community.
Vision 2030 is based on three axes represented by the vital society, the prosperous economy and the ambitious homeland. Because society is the basis of achieving the vision, the vital society was the first of those axes and the solid base for the prosperity of the economy. Vision 2030 stipulated the importance of building a vibrant society, living in accordance with Islamic principles and the approach of moderation. They are supported by a strong family structure and two possible health and social care systems. ”
Increase the percentage of home ownership
The vision ’ s efforts to support the Saudi family in a number of areas, most notably the interest in raising the rates of home ownership for Saudis through the housing program, where ownership rates have increased during the past four years from 47% to 60% in 2020, exceeding the 2020 target by 8%.
On the other hand, the vision sought to build the personality of children and establish positive values in their personalities, by launching a human capacity development program, and working on a number of projects to develop the educational system, such as: the development and rehabilitation of more than 3,000 kindergarten classrooms in more than 1,000 schools, the launch of a number of digital platforms such as “virtual kindergarten ” and“ madrasati ”. A university that works to raise the quality of scientific publishing, which contributed to the continuation of the educational process despite the circumstances of the pandemic, and the increase in enrollment in kindergarten from 13% in 2015 to 23% in 2020, and the increase in publishing in scientific research by 120%, in addition to the Kingdom achieving the first position in the Arab world and the 14th in the number of published research on the pandemic.
Physical and mental health
The vision also stressed the importance of physical, psychological and social health of individuals, and sought to build a society where people enjoy a healthy lifestyle through raising the level of health care, optimizing hospitals and medical centers, improving the quality of health services in both preventive and therapeutic aspects, in addition to increasing opportunities to practice sports regularly and supporting citizens to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Vision to 43% in 2021.
Festivals and Events
In addition to the importance of culture and entertainment in the quality of life of the population, the vision sought to support efforts to establish festivals and events, contribute to the establishment and development of entertainment centers, encourage internal and external investment in this field, allocate appropriate land for cultural and entertainment projects such as libraries, museums, theaters, etc. This has contributed to the Kingdom ’ s achievement of the first position in the Arab world and the 21st globally in the Happiness Index for 2020, with an increase of 16 places since the beginning of the vision, and the establishment of more than 2,000 entertainment, sports and cultural events with the attendance of more than 46 million visitors, 1.7 million people benefited from 1,000 educational and entertainment clubs around the Kingdom, in addition to the increase in the number of entertainment venues from 27,154 in 2017. 7 in 2020.
The National Transformation Program has also been instrumental in supporting the family and society, as it is the first operational program of the vision and the largest in terms of the number of strategic objectives. Since its inception in 2016, the program has contributed to the launch of a number of qualitative initiatives that serve the family and society.
Development of cities
Based on the high levels of security and development enjoyed by the cities of the Kingdom, Vision 2030 sought to maintain this security by strengthening the existing efforts in the fight against drugs, adopting additional measures to ensure traffic safety and reduce road accidents and their effects. Recreation and recreation, which contributed to the decline in the rate of road accidents deaths per 100 thousand people from 28.8 in 2016 to 13.5 in 2020, the rehabilitation of more than 37 million m2 of gardens and green areas and the pruning, coordination and planting of more than 14 million trees and roses, and the increase of the per capita places and public squares to 5.24 m2 / person.
Protection of family rights
The National Transformation Program has launched a number of initiatives led by the Ministry of Justice to protect the rights of all members of society, especially the most needy groups such as children. Dependent close.
The program also worked to support family and social services, such as the initiative of the centers for the implementation of the provisions of custody, vision and visit « Shaml », which served more than 40 thousand beneficiaries of children and parents through 55 centers covering all regions of the Kingdom.
Promoting social development
The National Transformation Program (NTP) has launched a number of initiatives led by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, most notably the development of a strategy to accommodate orphans and people with special circumstances, with the aim of developing a comprehensive strategy to provide all aspects of care for orphans in foster families. The continuous and regular incubation of the family after the incubation, organizing the incubation procedures, which contributed to raising the awareness of the community of incubation, activating the role of the third sector, raising the incubation rate of orphans to 100% and reducing the survival rate of infants until incubation for those under two years to less than two months.
The National Transformation Program also amended the social security system and regulations, developed incentives to enable beneficiaries to integrate into the labor market, and introduced regulations to integrate the entities concerned with empowerment, with a view to developing a new social system that addresses social security issues from a broader, preventive and curative perspective.
The NTP initiatives also sought to strengthen protection from domestic violence through the operation and development of the Domestic Violence and Child Protection Reporting Center through the toll free number (1919), partnership with the third sector to increase the geographical coverage of social protection agencies, development of awareness campaigns to prevent society from domestic violence, development of an integrated package of programs to cover the needs of victims of domestic violence and aggressors. 2020.
Environmental Sustainability
Vision 2030 stressed the importance of preserving and protecting the environment, considering it a religious, moral and humanitarian duty, and a responsibility to future generations, as it is a basic component of quality of life, and sought to reduce pollution, combat desertification, develop vegetation and ensure the sustainability of vital resources. A reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 28 million tons per year, and a 40% increase in vegetation cover, which has had a 30% decrease in sandstorms and an increase in rainfall.
Contribution of the family to development
Vision 2030 considered children ’ s skills and abilities as one of the most valuable resources, and sought to make the most of their energies by adopting a culture of reward for work, providing opportunities for all, and providing them with the necessary skills to achieve their goals, through investing in education and training, providing children with the knowledge and skills needed for future jobs, and ensuring that every Saudi child, wherever he or she is, has access to quality education opportunities. production as the most important engine of economic growth.
The Kingdom ’ s efforts towards development:
• Creating jobs, supporting innovation and promoting exports
• Enact better regulations, easier financing and more international partnerships
• Greater share of local companies in government procurement and competition
• Support productive families by facilitating opportunities to finance microenterprises
• Motivating the non-profit sector to work on building the capacities of these families and financing their initiatives
• Development and accessibility of opportunities for all, including youth, women and persons with disabilities
• Increase the contribution of SMEs to GDP from 20% in 2016 to 29% in 2020
• Growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by 40% between 2016-2020
• Unemployment rate for Saudis (male and female aged 15 years and above) fell to 11.3% in the second quarter of 2021
• Female labour force participation rate increased to 33.8% in Q2 2021
• Increasing the percentage of employed persons with disabilities who are able to work to 12% by the end of 2020.
These were the details of the news of the national transformation initiatives that support the family and society and protect their rights to this day, we hope that we have succeeded by giving you the details and full information and to follow all our news you can subscribe to the alerts system or in one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new.
It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available on Mecca has been confirmed by the editorial team in Gulf 365 and may have been modified and may have been transferred in full or quoted from it and you can read and follow up on the news from its main source.
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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 diversify Saudi Arabia's economy
To lessen reliance on oil.

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

Economically, MBS has spearheaded major initiatives to transform Saudi Arabia into a global investment hub beyond oil.

Title:

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

WEF’s report predicts that the fastest-growing jobs in the next five years will be in artificial intelligence.
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Updated 24 sec ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Updated 27 min 10 sec ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Updated 02 May 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Updated 02 May 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Updated 02 May 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Closing bell: Saudi bourse continues downward trend amid economic uncertainties

Updated 02 May 2023

Closing bell: Saudi bourse continues downward trend amid economic uncertainties

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To drive development in  financial services

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

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

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

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

His vision includes massive projects like the futuristic $500 billion Neom city and the Red Sea tourism development, aiming to develop sectors including tourism, renewable energy, technology, and entertainment.

Title:

Content: Saudi Arabia to be 'key driver of global trade with exports reaching $354bn by 2030'

India, China and South Korea are expected to be main export corridors for the kingdom over next decade, Standard Chartered says

Saudi Arabia will be a key driver of global trade growth with its exports projected to expand at an average annual rate of more than 7 per cent to $354 billion by 2030 as the country diversifies its economy away from oil, Standard Chartered said in a report on Tuesday.

Metals and minerals, plastic and rubber, chemicals and pharmaceuticals will dominate the kingdom's exports over the next decade, with India, China and South Korea being the principal export markets, Standard Chartered said.

“In Saudi Arabia, diversification of export sectors away from oil will be the key driver of its trade performance in the next decade,” said Yazaid Al Salloom, chief executive of Standard Chartered Bank Saudi Arabia.

“There is a high-potential opportunity for cross-border growth, particularly in India, China and South Korea, which are predicted to be the key trade corridors for the nation.”

Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s largest economy, is focused on diversifying its economy away from oil as part of its Vision 2030 programme. The kingdom is developing projects across sectors including real estate, petrochemicals, transport and hospitality to attract investment and boost employment.

New projects include Neom — a $500bn futuristic city comprising a nature reserve, coral reefs and heritage sites on a number of islands in the Red Sea — and Qiddiya, a huge entertainment and sports project.

The Red Sea Development Company is also building a mega-tourism project on Saudi Arabia’s west coast.

Global exports will almost double to $29.7tn from $17.4tn over the next decade with 13 markets, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, Nigeria, China, India, South Korea and Kenya driving the growth, Standard Chartered said.

“Globalisation will drive the next decade of growth,” the lender said in its report, which is based on an analysis of historical trade data and projections until 2030, as well as insights from more than 500 senior company executives globally.

“Despite the recent push towards onshoring, growth corridors of the future will not just be intraregional — they will be global spanning Africa-East Asia, Asean-South Asia, East Asia-Europe, East Asia-Middle East, East Asia-Europe and South Asia-US,” the lender said.

Increased investment will flow through Asia, Africa and the Middle East, with 82 per cent of survey respondents considering new production locations in these regions in the next five to 10 years.

The report also found a significant trend towards the adoption of sustainable trade practices in response to climate concerns and a rising wave of conscious consumerism.

While almost 90 per cent of corporate leaders acknowledged the need to enact these practices across their supply chains, only 34 per cent ranked it under “top three” priority for implementation over the next five to 10 years.

Updated: March 01, 2022, 4:18 PM
EDITOR'S PICKS

How has Saudi Arabia diversified its economy under Vision 2030?

Growth in technology
Growth in tourism
Growth in renewable energy

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?

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

Privatization efforts, such as the Aramco IPO, have sought to attract foreign investment.

Title:

Content: Advertisement
Private.
Wall Street Journal report reveals giant projects in the desert drain Saudi money
Translated by Rana Karaa
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23-02-2024 | 04: 30
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Saudi Arabia ’ s sovereign wealth fund announced last month that its cash levels had fallen by about three-quarters to about $15 billion as of September, the lowest since December 2020, prompting the kingdom to resort to a tool it has avoided in recent decades: borrowing.
The kingdom also plans to sell shares in the country ’ s crown jewel, oil giant Saudi Aramco, according to people familiar with the sale.
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Massive spending and borrowing point to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ’ s expansionary ambitions for the country and show how fiscal pressures can be countered in a world of rising interest rates and moderate oil prices.
The kingdom is now halfway through an economic development plan called Vision 2030, which aims to transform Saudi Arabia into an economically diversified power.
Last spring, the country ordered $35 billion worth of aircraft from Boeing, half of which was for the new airline.
There are also new commitments, including a plan to spend $38 billion to develop the esports and video games sector and create a local electric vehicle manufacturing industry.
Among the more expensive items is the “mega projects ” collection, which includes the new square, a development project in Riyadh with a giant cube, and a yacht resort on the Red Sea.
The most notable is a science-fiction city of nine million people called Neom at a cost of $500 billion.
The $62 billion project in Diriyah is set to include dozens of hotels and thousands of homes.
NEOM last month pledged $5 billion to build a dam at the base of a planned arid mountain ski resort characterized by its heavy reliance on artificial ice.
Academics studying borrowing say it may need hundreds of billions more from Saudi Arabia, and the 2030 plan calls for the wealth fund, known as the Public Investment Fund, to manage $2 trillion in assets.
The Public Investment Fund said it expected more funding from the government.
Tim Callen, a visiting fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, a think tank in Washington, said: “It ’ s mind-boggling how many things we ’ re trying to do here. ”
Callen estimates that the government may need to contribute another $270 billion to the PIF by 2030.
“This will involve taking more risks ” financially, he added, either by adding debt or reducing reserves that keep the Saudi riyal pegged to the dollar.
According to the newspaper, "At the same time that spending rose, oil revenues stabilized.
The International Monetary Fund estimates that oil prices should be above $86 a barrel in 2023 and $80 a barrel this year to balance the government budget.
Despite massive spending, Saudi Arabia experienced a rare economic contraction in 2023.
This year, Saudi Arabia is expected to run a budget deficit of $21 billion, or about 2 percent of the country ’ s GDP.
Riyadh expects to post a small annual deficit until 2026.
"No one expects an imminent financial collapse for the country.
Saudi Arabia ’ s debt is expected to hit 26 percent of GDP this year after hitting a low of 1.5 percent a decade ago, according to Capital Economics.
Saudi Arabia ’ s central bank has foreign exchange reserves of around $400 billion, and Saudi Arabia uses that money to maintain its currency peg to the dollar.
Razan Nasser, a sovereign analyst at T. Rowe Price, said questions about whether the pace of debt issuance will continue have weighed on Saudi bond prices and led to higher interest rates.
The other way to raise money is as follows: Riyadh plans to sell 1 percent of state oil company Aramco to stock market investors, according to people familiar with the sale, and the move could bring in about $20 billion.
In fact, selling Aramco shares involves swaps, reducing one of the country ’ s biggest sources of ongoing revenue: company profits.
Saudi officials say they want outside investors to help share the burden.
Karen Young, a non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute, said many megaprojects may be pulled out or shut down as costs rise and their effectiveness becomes more apparent, but the country is likely to continue pumping money into the PIF over the next few years.
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Translated by Rana Karaa

To drive development in  financial services

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

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

To attract foreign investment
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

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

The National Strategy for Industry targets industrial diversification with over 800 investment opportunities, aiming to triple industrial domestic product and exports by 2030, and create quality jobs.

Title:

Content: JEDDAH — Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman launched on Tuesday the National Strategy for Industry to realize the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.

The strategy focuses on 12 sub-sectors to diversify the Kingdom’s industrial economy while identifying more than 800 investment opportunities worth SR1 trillion.

“Through this strategy and in partnership with the private sector, Saudi Arabia will become a leading industrial power that contributes to securing global supply chains, and exporting high-tech products to the world,” the Crown Prince, who is also chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, said while unveiling the new strategy.

“We have all the possibilities to reach a competitive and sustainable industrial economy, thanks to the ambitious young talents; distinguished geographical location; rich natural resources, and leading national industrial companies,” he said.

The strategy aims to accomplish an industrial economy that attracts investments, which contributes to achieving economic diversification, and developing the domestic product and non-oil exports, in line with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.

The National Strategy for Industry focuses on 12 sub-sectors to diversify the Kingdom’s industrial economy while identifying more than 800 investment opportunities worth SR1 trillion to constitute a new chapter of sustainable growth for the sector in order to achieve ambitious economic returns for the Kingdom by 2030. These returns include doubling the industrial domestic product by three times and doubling the value of industrial exports to reach SR557 billion.

The strategy is also working to bring the total value of additional investments in the sector to SR1.3 trillion, and to increase exports of advanced technology products by about six times, in addition to creating tens of thousands of quality jobs of high value.

The industrial sector is one of the pillars of Saudi Vision 2030, and it receives great attention from wise leadership. The National Industrial Development and Logistics Program was launched and an independent ministry was established to take care of the sector. In addition to this, a number of programs were introduced and several entities were established.

All these have resulted in doubling the number of industrial establishments, which did not exceed 7,206 factories within 42 years. Their number jumped by more than 50 percent after the launch of Vision 2030, reaching 10,640 industrial facilities in 2022. The strategy will drive growth in the sector, bringing the number of factories to about 36,000 factories by 2035.

Through the strategy, Saudi Arabia aspires to empower the private sector, as well as to increase the flexibility and competitiveness of the industrial sector, which guarantees continuity of access to important commodities for the welfare of citizens and achieve global leadership in a group of selected commodities, by investing in promising new technologies.

To achieve these ambitious national goals, a governance model for the industrial sector was developed through the formation of the Supreme Committee for Industry, headed by the Crown Prince, to supervise the development of the sector, in addition to the formation of the Industrial Council with the participation of the private sector in order to ensure the participation of industrial investors in decision-making and policy development.

The Kingdom’s industrial sector is based on solid industrial foundations and successes built over 50 years, as it contributed to adding more than SR340 billion to the gross domestic product, and provided many quality jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities in various industrial fields.

The Kingdom also enjoys the presence of leading national industrial companies, which have contributed to placing the Saudi industry in the ranks of advanced industries regionally and globally, as the Kingdom is today the fourth largest manufacturer of petrochemical products in the world, while its industrial outputs contribute to supplying global supply and manufacturing chains, which are involved in the production of many of industries.

The launch of the strategy is in line with global trends in the sector, such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Kingdom’s objectives and the competitive advantages represented by its geographical location, an abundance of natural resources and energy sources, human capabilities, purchasing power, and stable monetary policies, it was pointed out.

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

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

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

Non-oil sectors have grown robustly, with a sizable increase in non-oil government revenue and GDP contributions, and the Saudi economy remains one of the fastest growing among the G20 nations.

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

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

Vision 2030 has also fostered a vibrant entertainment market, with over 2,000 events annually, a growing entertainment industry, and diversified economic activities stimulating job creation and foreign capital inflows.

Title:

Content: Moderate ideology: The silent Saudi revolution

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)

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

(atahasnain@gmail.com)

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

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

To attract foreign investment
To diversify Saudi Arabia's economy

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

On the social front, MBS has introduced significant reforms reducing the influence of the conservative Wahhabi religious establishment.

Title:

Content: Paris Fashion Week: Mohammed Ashi brings CHANGE in Saudi Arabia's culture to the ramp

The Saudi fashion industry is just one facet of a broader strategy pursued by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the country's economy and foster social changes.

First Published Jul 6, 2023, 2:10 PM IST

In a remarkable milestone for Saudi Arabia's cultural evolution, Mohammed Ashi, a Saudi designer, made his debut at Paris Fashion Week, marking a significant moment in the kingdom's push into the global fashion scene. Ashi, known for dressing top celebrities, described this achievement as the pinnacle of his career. The event coincided with Saudi Arabia's announcement of its own fashion week scheduled for October, as the country aims to tap into new retail opportunities valued at $32 billion annually.

Also read: Saudi documenting Hadith to stop misuse by Islamic radicals, terrorists

The Saudi fashion industry is just one facet of a broader strategy pursued by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the country's economy and foster social changes. This approach involves redirecting the nation's oil wealth towards investments in movies, sports, video games, tourism, and other cultural endeavors. While skeptics initially viewed these initiatives as mere smokescreens to deflect attention from human rights concerns, the reforms have surpassed expectations by introducing substantial and transformative changes.

A post shared by Ashi Studio (@ashistudio)

Yousef Akbar, a fashion designer who established his brand in Australia and has dressed renowned celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Rita Ora, expressed his astonishment at the magnitude of the transformation. He never anticipated such progress while growing up, and starting his fashion label in Australia seemed to determine the course of his career. However, he now operates his business from Jeddah, highlighting the growing opportunities within Saudi Arabia's burgeoning fashion scene.

"For the first two years, I almost didn't believe it was real, but then I realised, wow, it IS real," said 37-year-old Yousef Akbar, who began his eponymous fashion label in Australia in 2017.

"I really never thought when I was growing up that this would happen. When I started my brand in Australia, I thought my whole life would be there since I'm a fashion designer," Akbar added.

Also read: Why Saudi Arabia's oil production cuts are a risky gamble

The Saudi Fashion Commission aims to capitalize on newfound freedoms regarding public dress and the flourishing private sector, projecting a remarkable 48 percent surge in retail sales to $32 billion between 2021 and 2025. In line with this vision, the commission has launched the Saudi 100 brands program, fostering local designers and nurturing a homegrown industry.

Burak Cakmak, the CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission, believes that the country's rich heritage and existing brand presence lay the groundwork for a thriving fashion industry, dispelling the notion that Saudi Arabia is starting from scratch.

"Just because the country wasn't exposed to the rest of the world doesn't mean they are starting now," he told AFP in Paris. "I had an event for a brand this week that's been running since the 70s."

A post shared by Ashi Studio (@ashistudio)

It is important to acknowledge that LGBTQ individuals face severe repression in Saudi Arabia, as the country criminalizes same-sex relations. Despite this, the authorities are apparently turning a blind eye to the influence of queer designers and couturiers within the fashion industry.

Susanne Koelbl, author of "Behind the Kingdom's Veil," suggests that as long as individuals maintain loyalty to the ruler and their families approve, the authorities are choosing to overlook these aspects.

"Maybe you can't dance naked on the table, but almost anything else is possible now, as long as your family is OK with it and you are loyal to the ruler," Koelbl told AFP.

With opposition largely repressed and religious leaders stripped of power, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman faces few obstacles in implementing his well-planned and long-scheduled reform agenda, which is dramatically reshaping Saudi society. This process of change brings new and significant opportunities, particularly for women, who are experiencing a shift in societal roles and expectations.

"It's a well-planned, long-scheduled reform process which is about to change the society completely," said Koelbl. "The Saudi people don't tend to be revolutionary and for the vast majority there are indeed new and big opportunities now, especially for women."

For those benefiting from these reforms, the excitement is palpable and inspiring. Witnessing the realization of what was once deemed impossible serves as a powerful motivation for individuals like Yousef Akbar, who see tremendous potential for their own businesses.

"It sounds cliched, but seeing something happen that we all thought was impossible is very inspiring for my own business," said Akbar.

Also read: Arab youth sees India as stronger ally than the US: New survey

Saudi Arabia's presence at Paris Fashion Week and its broader efforts to embrace cultural transformation are indicative of a nation striving to redefine itself on the global stage. As the kingdom continues to invest in various aspects of global culture, it signals a desire to not only diversify its economy but also to foster social progress and create opportunities for its people.

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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?

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

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

The powers of the religious police (the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice) have been curtailed, effectively shrinking their role in public life.

Title:

Content: Saudi Arabia...
Mohammed bin Salman ’ s change to the kingdom ’ s image is happening quickly and the danger lies in the time to reach the core
Middle East
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LONDON, United Kingdom (CNN) -- Saudi Arabia has made headlines recently, this time to try to find its place in the world of sports.
She's spending a lot of money.
In an announcement that shocked the world of sports last Tuesday, the US-based PGA Tour Golf Association announced a merger with its Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf and the Dubai-sponsored DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour), ending a dispute that dominated male pro golf last year.
News of the partnership has become the talk in several capitals and stadiums around the world.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Professional League welcomed the winner of the Golden Ball French player Karim Benzema, to catch up with his teammate who previously joined the Saudi league Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, who is said to earn $200 million a season.
Perhaps the last time many people showed so much interest in the kingdom was in 2018 when journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed by Saudi government agents in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The golf coup of that partnership may have been the sporting achievement so far of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He has already secured a spot on the F1 circuit, hosted all boxing matches as well as organising a series of global and regional music events to impress local audiences who considered all this far from reality for them.
None of this was possible before Mohammed bin Salman came to power.
The speed and scale of his changes have earned him popularity among many of the country ’ s youth, which is as unexpected as it is rare in Saudi history.
Fame in sport is built on moments of brilliance.
Unlike politics where it is slowly won.
Decisions can usually take years to mature and yield benefits, but for Mohammed bin Salman it is different.
He's in a hurry.
In fact, he consolidated his power by shaking up the old guard in 2017, many of whom were potential contenders for power.
More than 200 members of the royal family and businessmen were detained at the Ritz Hotel in Riyadh that year over allegations of corruption.
The result is that once vibrant and vocal members of the royal family with strong royal assets have much less influence today and little chance of gaining it.
Arguably among some of Mohammed bin Salman ’ s Western partners, he is still seen as a potentially dangerous interlocutor.
For them, he is seen as responsible for sending the team that killed, sliced and burned Khashoggi, who has been critical of Mohammed bin Salman ’ s high-speed reforms.
Mohammed bin Salman has denied any personal involvement in Khashoggi ’ s killing but has taken full responsibility as the country ’ s leader.
Khashoggi ’ s killing has tarnished Mohammed bin Salman ’ s reputation and may have derailed his father King Salman ’ s ambitions for him to modernize the kingdom.
In 2015, when King Salman came to the throne, the nation was fossilized, its royal office and bureaucracy were arrogant and rigid, and according to the accounts of many Saudis “very corrupt. ”
The conservative religious police took control of the streets and women were banned from driving.
The country has been stuck in a cultural time crisis since its rulers panicked when Muslim extremists stormed the Grand Mosque in 1979, members of the royal family feared for their future and pacified Islamists by giving conservative clerics a huge role in running the kingdom.
A different regional player
By the time King Salman came to power, the 21st century was passing through Saudi Arabia without the benefit of it.
The larger and more powerful Gulf kingdom was culturally different, decades behind its neighbors in business and development, woefully below its capabilities.
That was until King Salman empowered Mohammed bin Salman, not his eldest son, but his chosen son to fix it.
The LIV Golf Championship is the latest example, not only of his intention to do so, but of what he went through before achieving it.
Since coming to power, he has banished the religious police almost overnight, shrinking the space for religion in public life and replacing it with a new kind of Saudi nationalism.
Women were allowed to go to football stadiums with men, and national day parties were held outdoors in the streets with music and dance, unheard of before the Mohammed bin Salman era.
The changes didn ’ t stop there, emancipation allowed unmarried men and women to sit together in cafes, work in the same office, and shop in stores together.
New neighborhoods have sprung up in Riyadh to meet a new lifestyle.
Extremely modern office complexes dotted with fountains and palm trees sprang up, and roadside cafes, which looked like Dubai, lured young people out of their homes.
Mohammed bin Salman is the architect of a new and freer lifestyle for many, but those who skip it and ask on social media skeptical of his decisions risk their disappearance.
Even the few who were released after international pressure, such as Loujain al-Hathloul, have been released from prison, but cannot leave the country and have been warned to keep their thoughts to themselves or risk going back to prison.
But despite the rough edges, there is a soft force at work.
Saudi Arabia recently started to build an extravagant football league with expensive European stars.
Mohammed bin Salman wants the world to take him just as seriously as many of his fellow citizens seem to be doing now.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has become an increasingly close geostrategic partner, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is benefiting at least for now, with Mohammed bin Salman cutting oil production, ignoring U.S. concerns that high oil prices are helping Moscow pay for its war in Ukraine.
The crown prince has also embarked on a regional and international diplomatic track aimed at making the kingdom a bigger player on the world stage.
Saudi Arabia has led efforts to bring Syria out of isolation and has tried to mediate conflicts such as those in Sudan and even in Ukraine.
Mohammed bin Salman has begun mending ties with his former foes, from Turkey and the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Houthi rebels in Yemen and even arch-foe Iran.
The prevailing idea is that he needs to ensure stability in order for his economic plans to succeed.
In terms of oil, it has made Saudi Arabia a bolder player.
Having been quick to respond to U.S. calls to open faucets and lower prices, the kingdom is now ignoring those requests, risking damage to its decades-old partnership with Washington.
The message is that Saudi interests come first.
These interests are to bring as many oil dollars as possible to the kingdom so that it does not fall into a budget deficit or see its mega projects fail.
What's best for his people?
Like Putin and Xi, Mohammed bin Salman wants what he believes is best for his people, meaning that the old model of affordable energy access in exchange for Western security guarantees that have moved Saudi Arabia to a cultural dead end is no longer an option.
Perception is everything.
America ’ s shift to Asia, its failure in 2011 to side with deposed allies during the Arab Spring, and now its support for Ukraine and what most Gulf Arabs see as misguided Western hegemony reeling from failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan all help sharpen Mohammed bin Salman ’ s paths toward new relationships where he also has some support.
The United States wants to increase oil production, support Ukraine, and normalize relations with Israel.
But it ’ s on the streets of Riyadh and Jeddah where Mohammed bin Salman ’ s biggest potential challenges lie.
The clock is approaching Vision 2030, a bold and tumultuous reimagining of city life powered by non-oil industries.
It is not only a new way of living, but also securing the work necessary to meet the needs of the country ’ s huge young population.
Two-thirds of Saudis are under 35 and have finally been able, in part thanks to Mohammed bin Salman, to taste what their contemporaries have enjoyed in the outside world for years.
Saudi officials say Vision 2030 for a new city on the Red Sea and another mega project — the New Square — in the capital Riyadh may not even partially materialize, but it aims to inspire the country and investors.
These are great adventures to keep people at work, so they are happy in their lives and less likely to challenge Mohammed bin Salman ’ s autocratic rule.
Plans of this magnitude are often realized over generations rather than the lifetime of a generation already living and yearning for a meaningful future.
Mohammed bin Salman, in a hurry, is attaching stability to a combination of ambition and an antidote to the people.
The process of changing the image is in full swing, but the longer it takes to get to the core, the greater the risk of failure.

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

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

No longer acts as the de facto religious police.

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

Public entertainment such as cinemas, concerts, and sports events have been permitted, reflecting a shift toward a more open cultural environment.

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