Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030”: Structural Reforms and Their Challenges

Abstract

This paper assesses the Saudi crown prince's visionary mega-project, "Vision 2030," superimposed as a new form of a social contract to diversify the country's economy and end dependency on oil revenue. The project sets to revive the long-staggering economy and propel the indicators of all sectors above the international averages. Concomitantly, the vision faces a colossal challenge as the kingdom is wheeled by authoritarian monarchical Islamic values that repudiate the concept of modernity, the final corollary of the prince's vision. This paper primarily assesses the education and healthcare system management based on the old social contract and seeks possible changes or restructuring according to "Vision 2030" objectives. The paper also looks into managing water shortages which are doomed to become more acute with the launch of mega infrastructural development projects. Further, this paper found that "Vision 2030" is steadily pushing boundaries, albeit there are impeding challenges ranging from the availability of skilled professionals to social, cultural and religious intransigence. Nevertheless, it can be convincible to argue that the cultural, social and political reformation is conceivable unless the citizenry has a strong will and vision regardless of how tumultuous the transition is, which would, in turn, help in streamlining the economic growth of the kingdom.