86 glorious years and Saudi Arabia's vision 2030

Even as Saudi Arabia commemorated its 86th National Day this week, the kingdom is celebrating the great progress made towards becoming a modern economy and a major player in the international arena. Vision 2030 initiated by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, aims at building a strong, developed and stable kingdom that provides opportunities for all nations in the Middle East and the world in general to progress The vision emphasises economic diversification, increasing the skill levels of young Saudi men and women and wisely utilising the abundant natural resources within the kingdom.
The ambitious $500 billion mega city project, Neom, is an example. The 26,500sqm zone will focus on a variety of industries including energy and water, biotechnology, food, advanced manufacturing and entertainment. Al Qiddiya project, an entertainment, sports and cultural facility, was launched earlier this year near Riyadh. The New Solar Energy Plan is the world's largest project in the energy sector. In 2019, two of the kingdom's first solar development projects with 3GW and 4.2GW solar capacity will be fulfilled, which will be increased to 150GW by 2030. The kingdom has also begun a restructuring programme at all levels of government institutions with digital services being expanded to reduce delays and cut bureaucracy. Significant steps have been taken to improve the business and investment climate to encourage industrial development, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
To promote the full participation of women, the kingdom has launched several initiatives including a national observatory to monitor women's participation in economic and social development, including digital portals for female job seekers. State infrastructure is also being developed and improved, including the expansion of the railroad system and the introduction of mass transit light rail projects with metro lines and community bus networks in the major cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Medina. With Vision 2030 functioning as a blueprint, the kingdom is working on a strategic goal of welcoming 30 million pilgrims every year to conduct Hajj and Umrah. The third phase of the expansion of the Great Mosque launched by King Salman has also been seeing good progress.
Though Saudi Arabia continues to face challenges, it is continuing its role as a peace-loving country. Political and economic stability in the Middle East and around the world is one of its biggest priorities. The Saudis are determined to continue their leading role in fighting extremism and terrorism while at the same time maintaining its pioneering role in spreading goodwill and compassion beyond borders. The King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Aid and Relief since its inception in 2015, has provided more than $1.9 billion in humanitarian and development assistance to more than 37 countries in four continents, carrying out more than 450 projects in the fields of food security, housing and shelter, health care and education.
The writer is a Khaleej Times reader based in Indonesia