It was an exceptional day for Saudi Arabia yesterday. The Royal Court was packed with Saudi and foreign journalists and writers. Their eyes were fixated on the declaration of the Saudi Vision 2030 — a new road map that charts a new future for Saudi Arabia.
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the architect of the path-breaking project, revealed the main features of the plan. He presented a comprehensive economic, social and military blueprint.
The plan rests on Saudi Arabia’s tall standing in Arab and Islamic world, the Kingdom’s massive investment capacity and the country’s strategic location. The plan includes key factors and initiatives that will take Saudi Arabia on par with the developed economies of the world. Most importantly, the plan relies on multiple resources of revenue rather than a complete reliance on a single commodity of oil.
The plan focuses on human resources through training and development to bring about a qualitative change in the field of education. The plan’s economic side is full of attraction, particularly the Public Investment Fund, which is expected to reach SR10 trillion, making it the largest investment fund in the world.
The deputy crown prince had extensive discussions with many of the attendees and he clearly has a comprehensive road map for implementing the project. He answered all the questions that were put to him with great assurance and provided accurate figures.
He encouraged dialogue during the conversation because he believes that dialogue will help us all to reach healthy solutions.
A bright future awaits Saudi Arabia. The number of Umrah pilgrims, for example, is expected to rise from the current 8 million to 30 million by 2030.
One of the striking examples in the plan is spending on culture and entertainment where the family spending is poised to increase from 2.9 percent to 6 percent. This is just one of the several aspects the map details with clear figures and objectives.
Yesterday, the Saudi people who listened to the deputy crown prince were more confident and more optimistic about the future of their country on the back of the country’s new development drive. As one of attendees said: “I now feel secure about the future of my children and grandchildren.”
