Vision 2030: A comprehensive and farsighted plan for Saudi Arabia’s development and Prosperity II
Dr.Syed Mehboob
Political and Economic Analyst
http//: www.thenewslark.com
email: [email protected]
The council noted that the third phase will witness the successive launch of national sectoral and regional strategies as long-term implementation tools that complement the Vision realization programs, with a broader focus and coverage, serving the objectives of this phase, contributing to the achievement of the Vision’s goals, and ensuring the sustainability of the impact beyond 2030.
It emphasized that reaching the end of the third phase of Vision 2030 in 2030 does not represent a final destination for development efforts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; rather, it forms the foundation for subsequent development efforts that Saudi Arabia will witness in the coming decades, ensuring the Kingdom’s continued leadership.
The council also highlighted Vision 2030’s adoption of the principle of sustainability as a core value in its methodology. At each stage, its achievements build upon the foundations laid in the preceding stage, thus guaranteeing a lasting impact. It also pointed out that 93 percent of the Vision’s performance indicators achieved their annual targets or were close to achieving them, and many indicators exceeded their interim targets or the 2030 targets.
It further noted that the Vision’s initiatives that were completed or that are on the right track constituted 90 percent of the total number of initiatives, which amounted to 1,290 initiatives, after the passing of the first and second phases of the Vision, which witnessed a wide wave of structural, economic, financial and legislative reforms that exceeded 1,000 reforms and 1,200 procedures. This included issuing and updating regulations and bylaws and establishing regulatory entities, to lay the foundations for transformation and prepare the enabling environment for it.
This, in turn, contributed to opening up economic sectors, creating new growth opportunities, empowering citizens and the private sector, attracting local and foreign investments, improving the quality of life in the Kingdom, and consolidating its global leadership.
This leadership has been bolstered by the Kingdom’s economic competitiveness and its continuous progress over the past decade in global indicators across various fields. It has also established effective strategic relationships at the regional and international levels and played a leading role in researching and shaping solutions to pressing global issues, thus promoting stability and prosperity for the Kingdom, the region, and the world at large.
Kingdom’s Vision 2030 has maintained this progress and achieved a momentum of qualitative accomplishments through its strategic planning and sound financial policies, based on flexibility and pro activity in anticipating future challenges and opportunities, despite global fluctuations and the economic and political turmoil that has cast its shadow on the regional and international levels over the past decade.
The council reviewed the phases of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, noting that its first phase, from 2016 to 2021, focused on building and establishing a foundation through restructuring state institutions and creating new medium-term structures embodied in the Vision Realization Programs. These programs ensured consistency in the work of executive bodies, including ministries, agencies, and government centers, enabling them to embark on an accelerated transformation journey.
This phase also required implementing decisive measures to combat corruption, entrench the values of transparency and accountability, monitor government performance and effectiveness, and undertake structural interventions to align government spending with development priorities.
A medium-term financial road-map was also established for revenues, expenditures, public debt, and reserves. This led to the completion of the planning, financing, and measurement cycle within the government’s operational framework, thereby raising the level of institutionalization and governance among government entities and enhancing their readiness and flexibility in accelerating implementation and adapting to changes.
On the other hand, the Vision has worked to empower the private sector by addressing procedural and regulatory obstacles to maximize its contribution to the national economy.
This included restructuring PIF and reviewing its investment strategies to make it a key driver of economic diversification, revitalizing underutilized sectors, and developing national wealth through asset investment as well as building local and international partnerships, establishing new companies, and launching mega-projects that stimulate growth, such as the Red Sea Project, Neom, Diriyah Gate, and Qiddiya.
These are long-term projects with implementation phases extending beyond 2030, embodying the Kingdom’s ambitions and the scale of the transformation it seeks to achieve.
The council noted that during the years between 2021 and the end of 2025, the Vision was in its second phase, during which efforts focused on accelerating progress through further reforms and expanding the momentum of transformation, building on the achievements of the previous phase.
These years witnessed an improvement in the quality of government services, an acceleration in the effective implementation of national plans and initiatives, and an expansion in the role of the private sector, as well as empowerment of citizens, and the growth of specialized human resources and talent.
This was accompanied by an increase in government projects and PIF projects, aimed at capitalizing on emerging growth opportunities across various sectors. Simultaneously, this phase saw the development of national development strategies to drive sustainable growth and an expansion of government capital spending across several sectors to maximize their economic and social returns.
The council discussed the qualitative achievements and sustainable gains made by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 during its first and second phases, across its three pillars: a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation.
It also reviewed the efforts made to achieve the Vision’s goals at the level of its “vibrant society” pillar, including improving the quality of life and encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyles in the Kingdom through numerous initiatives and projects in various administrative regions. Among the most prominent of these are the humanization of cities, the development of neighborhoods and parks, and the increase in the number of sports facilities and space, as well as and the opening of a large part of the Sports Track project, which has become one of the most important landmarks of the capital.
These efforts have led to an increase in the percentage of adults practicing sports in the Kingdom to 59.1 percent, exceeding its annual target and future targets until 2027.
The council commended the efforts that have established the principles of prevention and prolonging healthy life, and have contributed to expanding the scope of health services to cover 97.5 percent of population centers in various regions of the Kingdom. This has led to the average life expectancy in the Kingdom reaching 79.7 years, nearing its 2030 target of 80 years.
The council also praised the shift toward diversifying housing support solutions implemented under Vision 2030, including providing mortgage financing, increasing and diversifying the real estate supply, facilitating citizen access through electronic platforms, and regulating the market and the relationships between its stakeholders through newly introduced regulations and bylaws.
This has resulted in a rise in home ownership among Saudis to 66.24 percent, after remaining at levels not exceeding 47 percent for many years.
The council further emphasized that this investment represents the most important aspect of the Vision since its launch. This is achieved by empowering national talent through educational and vocational training opportunities, increasing job opportunities, developing educational pathways and curricula, and introducing new specializations and tracks in scholarship programs.
This has encouraged young men and women in the Kingdom to pursue their passions and strive to achieve their dreams. These efforts have resulted in more than doubling the number of Saudi students in the top 200 universities and institutes worldwide to over 28,493, and the inclusion of 22 Saudi universities in the QS World University Rankings for 2025. Up to three Saudi universities have entered the list of the top 200 universities globally, according to the World University Rankings.
The entity pointed to the role of institutional integration and effective governance in enhancing the efficiency of services provided to pilgrims and increasing their capacity in the hospitality, transportation, and infrastructure sectors. As a result, the number of Umrah pilgrims from outside the Kingdom reached its highest level by the end of 2025, exceeding 18 million pilgrims who were able to perform their Umrah rituals with ease and convenience. ( continued)
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