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This year, as Saudi Arabia marks the 10-year anniversary of the launch of Vision 2030, commentary will again dwell on Neom, the Red Sea resorts, Qiddiya, airports and new cities. They matter. But the deeper story is the incredible transformation of daily life in Saudi Arabia. Launched on April 25, 2016, by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Vision 2030 has altered life for the Saudi people in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.
The Saudi Arabia of 2016 was a society where women were barred from driving, cinemas did not exist, the religious police shaped behavior in public spaces, gender segregation constrained social life, retail mortgages were virtually nonexistent, and government paperwork required patience, connections and repeated follow-ups. What followed was an extraordinary transformation that unfolded without revolution, widespread violence or significant public upheaval, a rarity in the history of rapid social change. A decade later, the question is whether outsiders have missed a remarkable episode of human development.
The crown prince’s role is central. Many reforms now described as inevitable were controversial when introduced. They challenged bureaucracy, the religious establishment and an entrenched social order. The nerve required to push through decisions on women’s mobility, entertainment, tourism, gender mixing and the religious police was considerable. The crown prince confronted taboos seen until then as sacrosanct and forcefully remade the state into a modern, “normal” society.
Many reforms challenged bureaucracy, the religious establishment and an entrenched social order
Ali Shihabi
The curbing of the religious police was the quiet hinge on which the social opening turned. In April 2016, Saudi Arabia barred the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice from pursuing suspects or making arrests. Saudis could visit malls, cafes, concerts and mixed public spaces without fear of being stopped, lectured or embarrassed. Public life became more relaxed. Society could breathe into a space that had suddenly been opened wide for them.
The most visible transformation has been women’s empowerment. Female labor force participation reached 36 percent in the third quarter of 2024, more than double the level often cited before reform and above the original Vision 2030 target. Women now drive, travel more freely, work across sectors, serve in security and military roles, and participate in sport and culture.
Housing is another underappreciated story. Home ownership among Saudi families had reached 65 percent by the end of 2024, equal to US and EU levels. To achieve this, the state helped create a retail mortgage industry almost from scratch, with Islamic finance structures, new institutions, subsidies and banks encouraged to write these mortgages. By 2025, real estate lending by Saudi banks had grown to nearly SR1 trillion ($270 million). This changed family formation, household wealth and the expectations of a generation that can now imagine home ownership.
Work itself has changed its social meaning. The old model privileged government employment, status and security. Vision 2030 has pushed Saudis into working in hotels, airports, cafes, retail, logistics, entertainment, technology, tourism, events and private companies. These sectors require punctuality, service, presentation, languages and competition. Saudi unemployment dropped to 6 percent in the first quarter of 2025, while Saudi female unemployment fell to 10 percent. Millions of Saudis began participating in a more open and competitive labor market.
The labor market has also been supported by a flourishing tech startup scene thanks to government funding programs and the enhancement of the regulatory and legal regimes. From almost zero venture capital funds and tech startups 10 years ago, the Kingdom today has more than 50 venture capital funds investing in Saudi Arabia and about 1,000 tech startups. The entrepreneurial and employment opportunities this has created cannot be overestimated.
The megaprojects may define the skyline. But the human reforms define how Saudi Arabia has truly changed
Ali Shihabi
Digitization has changed the citizen’s relationship with the state. Passports, licenses, powers of attorney, court services and official documents moved from offices and intermediaries to platforms, simplifying life and reducing petty corruption. Saudi Arabia now ranks sixth globally in the UN digital government index. Electronic payments accounted for 85 percent of retail payments in 2025. A cash-heavy society became one in which cards, smartphones and apps have made commerce and daily life much easier.
Health and quality of life are also part of the story. Walking tracks, gyms, sports clubs, public health campaigns, calorie labeling and mass participation events have made exercise visible in national life. Life expectancy rose from 74 years in 2016 to 79 years in 2024. In 2025, 59 percent of adults reported doing at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
Culture has moved from the margins of public policy to its center. The government lifted its cinema ban, established a dedicated Ministry of Culture, created an institute to train youth in the arts and began actively promoting film, music, visual arts, heritage, fashion and literature. What once existed privately or underground is now institutionally supported. The most tangible change has been the normalization of public entertainment. Families can now go to cinemas, concerts, restaurants, festivals and sporting events in their own country.
Tourism may be the most underestimated social reform. In 2019, Saudi Arabia, a country that had been totally closed to tourists, opened up widely to them through a new visa regime. This exposed Saudis to a different kind of foreign visitor: not only pilgrims, oil executives or expatriate workers, but travelers, diners, hikers, museum visitors and hotel guests curious about Saudi Arabia itself. Hospitality became not only inherited generosity but a competitive professional discipline.
The megaprojects may define the skyline. But the human reforms define how Saudi Arabia has truly changed. The real Vision 2030 story is the Saudi woman, homeowner, tourist guide, artist, athlete, entrepreneur, student and citizen freed from bureaucracy and social policing. The remaining test is quality: productive jobs, affordable homes, better schools, predictable law and enough cultural freedom for creativity to mature. But the first decade has shown something striking. When the old constraints were removed, society adopted change as if it had been waiting for it all along.
- Ali Shihabi is an author and commentator on the politics and economics of Saudi Arabia. X: @aliShihabi