Vision 2030, an ambitious plan that looks to the future
Saudi Arabia is opening up to the world to reduce its dependence on oil and move towards a more diversified and sustainable economy.
Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia’s strategy to diversify its oil-dependent economy and create a dynamic, sustainable future. Built on social development, economic prosperity, and governance reform, the plan drives large-scale urban projects, cultural preservation, and global integration. It aspires to reshape the nation’s identity and global influence.
Those people who had the pleasure of strolling through the pavilions of Expo 2020 in Dubai will surely have noticed a building in the shape of an open book, entirely covered in mirrors: the Saudi Arabian pavilion showing the world “its pages”, telling the story of a fascinating and hitherto little-known country.
It all stems from a vision launched by the Saudi monarchy in 2016 and carried forward by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the country's Prime Minister since September 2022: Vision 2030, which aims to radically transform Saudi Arabia from a mainly oil-based economy to a more diversified and sustainable one.
But beyond the renderings of futuristic projects, what is Vision 2030? It is a highly articulated plan constructed around three main pillars:
- A dynamic society: The first aim is to improve the quality of life of its citizens and reinforce the values on which its society is built. This includes the development of social infrastructure (schools, hospitals and urban areas) and the promotion of cultural, sporting and recreational activities to create a dynamic society that gives people access to a wider range of opportunities and services.
A prosperous economy: The second pillar is economic, with the aim of diversifying the country's sources of income, reducing dependence on oil and boosting employment. This calls for reforms to promote the private sector, encourage foreign investment and strengthen tourism, finance, technology and manufacturing. The aim is also to strengthen Saudi Arabia's role as a regional and global logistics hub, becoming more integrated beyond the borders of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). It is also essential to develop human resources to meet the needs of the labour market by facilitating access to education, especially in rural areas, and the quality of local training institutes, providing young people with good training and enabling more women to enter the labour market.
An ambitious nation: The third pillar concerns Saudi Arabia's role on the international stage and its commitment to better domestic governance. It includes more efficient management of state resources, greater transparency and accountability of the government partly through the digitization of processes, with the aim of improving the quality of services for its citizens and businesses. The country also aims to strengthen diplomatic relations, consolidating its leading position in the Middle East region and encouraging greater social responsibility on the part of its citizens and institutions, partly by promoting non-profit projects.
In the northern region, renamed Neom, grandiose projects for attracting tourism have already started, such as Trojena, which will host the 2029 Asian Winter Olympic Games, and resorts that are planned to be built along the Red Sea coast from the Gulf of Aqaba almost as far as Jeddah.
Meanwhile, the foundations are being laid for a vertical city called “The Line”, which is also in the Neom region, and the floating port of Oxagon is in the preliminary phase of its construction. Riyadh is literally an open-air construction site: from the Diriyah district and the old city centre to the huge Qiddiya district near the capital, which is destined to become a hub for entertainment and sports. Not to mention new business, residential and recreational spaces that are being built throughout the country.
