It is now five years since Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 was unveiled by then-Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MEES, 29 April 2016). In the subsequent half-decade, the kingdom has undoubtedly undergone profound changes, not least of which was its architect’s appointment as Crown Prince in 2017.
When Vision 2030 was launched five years ago it seemed highly unlikely that it would succeed in all of its highly ambitious goals. But to observers it was clear that Saudi Arabia’s economy needed to be shaken up and that setting out such ambitious targets was no bad thing, even if they appeared unattainable. In assessing the success or otherwise of implementation so far it is therefore best not to judge purely against whether Vision 2030’s targets will be fully met, but whether the roadmap is helping to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s economy. (CONTINUED - 824 WORDS)
