Looking back to Vision 2030 initiation day in 2016, we all had a certain set of expectations of how much reform you can do, to an 87-year-old state, over a 14-year time span! The only thing we did not foresee was how steady and focused the decisions were going to be and how they would depend on a domino effect rather than a “deconstruct and rebuild” plan!
KSA is embracing its potential of becoming a modern state of its own kind with a unique mix of culture, politics, and technology, where strategic and diplomatic decisions became the most powerful aspect of this change wave. In simple words; why remove the shades, if you can alter its purpose from conservative protection to trendsetting!
“MY PRIMARY GOAL IS TO BE AN EXEMPLARY AND LEADING NATION IN ALL ASPECTS, AND I WILL WORK WITH YOU IN ACHIEVING THIS ENDEAVOUR.”
Custodian of the two holy mosques, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud
With its leadership being focused on results rather than processes, the kingdom has witnessed monumental changes over the past 3 years with the highlight being in lifting the ban on women driving in July last year. This decision came as an existential tool to help set the pace for more women empowerment and involvement in the government and workplace where it is expected to help raise the 22% female workforce to 30% with a series of legislative changes of the male guardianship, in a culturally and economically acceptable manner to provide equal opportunity and responsibility for women.
The whole role and perception of women is changing in the kingdom as they are now being seen as part of the nation’s workforce, where a woman‘s education is no longer a time gap filler or leisure trend, but a driving factor to an economic and cultural revolution that will help shift the country from an oil depending economy to a knowledge and diversified one.
TECHNOLOGY NEEDS BRAINS- IT’S A NO BRAINER.
Another front that the vision is working towards is the initiation and development of one of the world’s most ambitious projects; “NEOM”. The unmatched liveability of this future city will have to depend on multiple factors including technological, financial and human capitals, of which the Saudi community and economy is not ready for at the moment. Hence the expected changes to the Saudi national sponsors’ system of expats and a complete reform of financial capital control, VAT, property ownership and long term residency. Some are already in place and some are just a few months away from execution. These changes will be crucial to the overall success of “NEOM” and vision 2030, as they all align with what most of what GCC countries are doing already. So technically, Saudi Arabia might be a little bit late on this but we all know that late is better than never. (UAE long term residency law was put in action last May 2019)
Now, it’s clearly seen that a shift in the cultural paradigm is deemed inevitable, where expats will need to feel welcome in the country and Saudi nationals of talent need to feel appreciated more to stop the brain migration. That being said; the kingdom is bound to make yet more changes to the workforce, investment and commercial laws and regulations, to become more attentive to facilitate the huge investments that are steering towards start-ups, international partnerships as well as the entertainment industry.
KEEPING THE ENTERTAINMENT MONEY, IN-HOUSE
It’s a little bit naive to say that entertainment was a non-existing industry in the Saudi economy. A community cannot hold up for one day without some sort of entertainment! But it’s wiser to say though that the execution tools were either limited or exclusive for few. Money was spent on weak ideas that were repeatedly done with minimal changes in fear of criticism, while most Saudis spent their holidays abroad seeking world-class entertainment. The industry now has the chance to meet the growing need for entertainment by bringing that world class to Saudis in their home country.
And here comes the drill of having an actual authority that fortifies the concept of the well-planned entertainment industry, in a trial to keep Saudi leisure spending within the state rather than on tickets to wonderlands abroad.
The smart move of creating the General Authority of entertainment and moving some of the vital tasks of the Authority of promoting virtue and prevention of vices has helped create less drama and more clarity when it comes to entertainment projects and their regulations, moving the investment cycle a few rolls forward.
WITH MONEY COMES CREATIVITY
Innovation is a huge part of the KSA Vision2030, but presenting such a bold statement to the conformist community is an extremely hard task. Regardless of the fact that more than 35% of the country is below the age of 24, the elders and seniors have the upper hand when it comes to cultural approval and financial control. So, here comes the role of creative concepts development and marketing ideas in the right frame, as a brand cannot risk being viewed disrespectful or discourteous and yet it cannot keep on using the same brain wave and behavior tone it used 5 years ago. For example, ServicePlan’s recent Toyota campaign “Take On Tomorrow” goes hand in hand with how creativity and culture can be used to benefit the brand and community simultaneously.
FROM THE 19TH TO THE TOP 15!
The ambitious goal of Vision 2030 to move Saudi Arabia from the 19th largest economy in the world into the top 15 might have seemed a bit over-optimistic a few years ago. Yet it kind of makes sense now with the Arab spring turmoil going idle just in time to the rise of a new form of turmoil with GCC; tenacious economic competitiveness as a result of the 2017 Qatar Diplomatic crisis, making it vital for Vision 2030 to succeed, now more than ever!
Saudi Arabia needs the 2030 vision to step up its economic game in the Middle East and World as Arabs are hoping that KSA can beat China up the ladder after its new clashes and drawbacks with the US Trump politics crisis.
CHANGE CAN HAPPEN FAST BUT EFFECT WILL TAKE TIME.
It might sound oversimplified when we say that change is all about the driving force! Laws can be re-written in terms of days but following through is what actually counts. The vision’s road map is built on a five-year strategic planning cycle with annual and quarterly adjustments where the year 2019 marks the end of setting the foundation, launching key reforms, and developing programs with tangible impact on citizens. The year 2020 is set forth to drive outcomes and maintain momentum all the way to 2025 that will place emphasis on making the impact deeper, where ultimately the Saudi national image and conduct is transformed into a more innovative, free thinking and tolerant nation.
This change is happening already on a day to day basis, it may be slow but surely steady with a single concentration of placing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds, the investment powerhouse and the hub connecting three continents.