RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs Mohammed bin Salman has affirmed that the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 has brought about a qualitative leap in the nation’s development.
This transformation is evident in the comprehensive and tangible changes achieved across economic sectors, services, and infrastructure as well as logistics, and social life.
The Vision 2030 commenced its third and final phase in 2026, extending for five years until 2030. During this phase, the Vision maintains its focus on long-term objectives while adapting implementation methods to the requirements of each stage, thereby ensuring sustained progress and prosperity and positioning the Kingdom at the forefront of advanced nations.
The Crown Prince emphasized that the most important investment in the Vision since its inception has been, and will continue to be, the development of the nation’s citizens. This investment focuses on empowering them, enhancing their performance, raising their efficiency, and enabling them to compete effectively with their counterparts worldwide.
He directed all government agencies, each within its respective area of responsibility, to continue their efforts, identify opportunities, and capitalize on them to provide everything that benefits the nation, its citizens, and the national economy.
He also commended the comprehensive and sustainable national development achieved in recent years, which has placed the Saudi citizen at its center and aimed for global leadership in various fields.
The prime minister noted that the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 is entering its third and final phase, from 2026 to 2030, marking the peak of implementation for national programs and strategies.
This phase is characterized by the transformation tools reaching their highest levels of readiness, and how the Kingdom is progressing toward achieving its goals by consolidating the gains of national, economic, and social transformation and redoubling efforts to accelerate the pace of achievement.
The crown prince further emphasized that despite global fluctuations and economic and political turmoil that have cast a shadow on the regional and international levels over the past decade, the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 has maintained its progress and achieved significant milestones through its strategic planning and sound financial policies based on flexibility and proactivity in anticipating future challenges and opportunities.
This came after CEDA reviewed updates to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Following its first two phases, the Vision has laid a solid foundation for growth in diverse economic sectors, achieving significant progress and accumulating substantial gains. To further enhance this success, the third phase, spanning from 2026 to 2030, will accelerate efforts.
This phase will continue to accelerate the pace of achievement, seize growth opportunities, maintain government capital spending, and strengthen the role of the Public Investment Fund and the National Development Fund in stimulating local investments. It will also expand the private sector’s role in supporting economic growth and diversification, increase local content, and continue monitoring and guiding ongoing initiatives.
It will also implement programs and plans related to infrastructure development, improving the quality of essential services provided to citizens, residents, and visitors, as well as investing in the capabilities of Saudi men and women to achieve comprehensive development and leadership in various fields.
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.
The council noted that the 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 proactivity 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 roadmap 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.
During the session, 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 homeownership 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.
The council highlighted the Kingdom’s rich cultural heritage and deep-rooted civilization, which distinguishes it regionally and globally.
This has driven the Kingdom to leverage its cultural assets and human resources, establishing more than 13 government entities dedicated to cultural affairs since the launch of Vision 2030. It has also added over 80 cultural professions to the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations, enabling a robust and sustainable cultural industry.
These efforts have contributed to achieving the goals of Vision 2030, including the inscription of eight sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, thus enhancing Saudi Arabia’s cultural presence on the global stage.
The council also addressed the progress made in the “Thriving Economy” pillar. This is reflected in the current state of the Saudi economy, characterized by its strength, resilience, and competitiveness. This has enabled it to withstand global economic fluctuations and maintain stable inflation levels.
Real gross domestic product continued its upward trend, exceeding SR4 trillion ($1.07 trillion) and reaching SR4.9 trillion by the end of 2025. This growth was driven by the consistent expansion of non-oil activities, which contributed 55 percent to GDP, constituting more than half of the national economy.
The Kingdom also jumped more than 20 places in the IMD Global Competitiveness Index, reaching 17th globally. The national economy also ranked third among the G20 countries in terms of growth projections for 2026 and 2027, according to the International Monetary Fund, despite the regional and global turmoil and challenges that have impacted the growth forecasts of most economies worldwide.
The council also commended the unique approach of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in developing economic sectors. This approach integrates maximizing the benefits from traditional sectors with the advancement of promising and emerging sectors to become new pillars of the national economy.
Saudi Arabia has leveraged its natural resources to maximize the impact of the energy sector, establishing over the past years an integrated and diversified energy system. This has contributed to a significant increase in renewable energy generation capacity, rising from zero in 2016 to 64 GW by the end of 2025.
The Kingdom has also invested in its latent potential in the mining sector, increasing the estimated value of mineral wealth by 90 percent, reaching SR9.4 trillion, up from SR4.9 trillion.
It has also developed the tourism, entertainment, culture, and sports sectors, relying on its unique and largely unexplored natural and geographical diversity, including archaeological sites, pristine coastlines and islands, mountains and deserts, and varied climates. This, coupled with its rich culture and heritage, has given it a multifaceted tourism landscape rarely found elsewhere in the world, with tourism now contributing approximately 5 percent to the GDP.
At the same time, the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 focused on investing in key and foundational sectors, such as industry, transportation, and logistics, as cornerstones for driving sustainable growth.
These sectors have demonstrated exceptional efficiency in the face of challenges, underscoring the strength of the Kingdom’s proactive approach to developing the industrial and logistics sectors. The number of factories in the Kingdom has risen to more than 12,900, with investments reaching approximately SR1.2 trillion. Non-oil merchandise exports have grown from SR242 billion to over SR623 billion riyals.
The development of transportation infrastructure, including ports, airports, and railways, has played a pivotal role in making the Kingdom a vital logistics hub, with the number of operational logistics centers increasing to 24.
During its implementation, the Vision, with its opportunity-seeking mindset, invested in emerging sectors that shape the economies of the future, such as artificial intelligence. Leveraging its digital infrastructure, strategic location, vast land area, and human capital, the Kingdom achieved first place globally in the Government Strategy for AI criterion within the Global AI Index.
This was further solidified by its advancement in the sports and esports sector with the hosting of the first Esports World Cup.
The council also praise PIF’s role over the past 10 years in supporting the development of 10 promising sectors through its companies and investments. Its assets under management have increased from SR720 billion in 2015 to over SR3.4 trillion, with total spending over the past five years reaching SR750 billion on domestic investments, representing 60 percent of its total investments.
The fund’s high-quality projects have also witnessed significant progress in recent years. The Council highlighted the opening of the first parks in the Qiddiya project by the end of 2025, and the opening of the Red Sea destination with five marine resorts on one of the world’s largest coral reefs. These are the initial phases of both destinations reaching full operational capacity.
The council also reviewed the ongoing efforts to establish a logistical link with European and Asian ports at Neom Port, which has contributed to reducing shipping times to the Kingdom’s shores by 50 percent.
The council noted all the work being done to ensure the gradual completion of these projects according to their implementation plans, emphasizing their strategic objectives of leveraging the Kingdom’s natural resources while preserving and developing its natural environment.
The council also praised AlUla’s unique position on the regional and global tourism scene, noting that it was designated the first destination in the Middle East by the World Travel Market and received the award for Best Cultural Tourism Project in the Middle East three times consecutively from 2023 to 2025 at the World Travel Awards Middle East.
The council commended the progress made in developing and preparing the historic Diriyah area, which includes one of Saudi Arabia’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Al-Turaif Historical District.
This progress has resulted in over 3.6 million tourist visits by the end of 2025. The council also praised the direct impact of the Kingdom’s Vision projects on the tourism sector’s performance, which has surpassed the 2030 target of 100 million tourists and is projected to reach 123 million by the end of 2025. This has led to over SR300 billion in total tourism spending in the Kingdom, raising the Vision’s target to 150 million tourists by 2030.
The council also affirmed that the Vision’s efforts during the previous two phases, and the resulting accelerated economic activity and attractive business environment, have stimulated and empowered the private sector. The number of small and medium-sized enterprises has tripled since 2016, reaching over 1.7 million.
The private sector’s contribution to real GDP has reached 51 percent, and foreign direct investment inflows into the Saudi economy have increased fivefold, reaching SR133 billion in 2025, compared to SR28 billion in 2017.
The number of companies that have established regional headquarters in the Kingdom has exceeded 700 international companies. All of this has contributed to a significant decrease in unemployment rates among Saudis, reaching a low of 7.2 percent by the end of 2025, compared to 12.3 percent in 2016.
The percentage of women’s participation in the labor market has risen to 35 percent, up from just 22.8 percent in 2016, as a result of the continuous generation of opportunities and jobs, and the high readiness of young men and women to join the labor market.
The council also reviewed the achievements in the “Ambitious Nation” pillar, particularly the Kingdom’s exceptional progress in several international indicators. It commended the advanced digital infrastructure that propelled the Kingdom’s advancement in the UN E-Government Development Index by 25 places, achieving sixth place globally, in addition to its continued progress in the Global Cybersecurity Index, moving from 46th to first place globally.
In addition to efforts that have solidified the Kingdom’s position as a global destination for events and activities, platforms for sporting competitions, artistic and cultural awards, and conferences, as well as economic, industrial, environmental, and other initiatives, over the past decade it has been a focal point for all segments of society with diverse interests, hosting major festivals and events across various fields.
It hosted the Dakar Rally for seven years and is preparing to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and Expo 2030, culminating in winning the bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The council commended the efforts to organize and empower the non-profit sector, improving its operational mechanisms and funding opportunities so that it can participate alongside the public and private sectors in the development journey.
This has increased its contribution to the GDP from 0.2 percent to 1.4 percent, leading to a doubling of the number of volunteers in the Kingdom, exceeding its 2030 target and surpassing 1.7 million volunteers.
The council concluded its session by reviewing the distinguished role played by the Vision Realization Programs, most of which were launched in their first phase as medium-term entities that formed key drivers for the transformation process and accelerating the pace of achievement.
It praised the enabling structure established by these programs that supports the continuity of implementation, and the institutional and knowledge legacy they have established upon which to build in the coming phases, thus enhancing the sustainability of growth and the integration of efforts toward achieving the Vision’s objectives.
It noted that last year witnessed the completion of the Financial Sustainability and Privatization Programs after they achieved the goals for which they were established and completed their implementation plans, so that the work they started would be completed by the relevant government agencies, including ministries, authorities, centers, and other programs, all of which build on the successes achieved to enhance the sustainability of growth.
It indicated that the other programs will conclude their work successively during the coming years after fulfilling their objectives, while some of them will be redirected to achieve specific strategic goals that extend until 2030.
