Until 2018 it was illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia. Until 2019 women were essentially treated as minors in legal terms. Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community remains punishable by death. In 2024, more than 300 people were executed (usually by decapitation), and crimes such as adultery can often lead to capital punishment. Along with numerous reports of high-level human rights violations, it’s easy to see why Saudi Arabia is a nation that many are strict critics of. Because of this, it’s also very easy to see why the country’s government are very keen to change how the world views them.

In recent years, we’ve observed the Middle-Eastern state make huge moves to bring themselves to the fore of the modern world, and give their people a standard of living incomparable to most others. Lately we’ve seen an influx of law changes to bring the nation’s legal system closer to what the West may deem as acceptable. There’s also been a vast change in direction in terms of the tourism industry, as the country has gone from having a stern ban of international tourists visiting (pilgrims, businessmen and workers being the exception), to actively encouraging people to see what the Arabian powerhouse has to offer. The Public Investment Fund have also invested heavily in sport, notably through the purchase of Premier League club Newcastle United, mega-money moves to bring well-known footballing names to the Saudi Pro League, and the inclusion of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on the Formula 1 calendar. Also, many of the world’s biggest and most aspiring building plans are Saudi “giga-projects”- you may be hearing about “The Line” in Neom an awful lot in the future.

In particular, above everything however, is the striking Saudi Vision 2030. On the 25^th of April 2016, a day which will now be viewed as a pivotal one in Saudi history, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman announced a project that would aim to significantly better the lives of the nation’s people, greatly diversify the economy beyond oil and develop an ambitious state capable of being a major player in world affairs. In this series, I’m going to take a look at whether they are on course to complete these pioneering goals, how things would change if they fulfil them, and why the kingdom of Saudi Arabia feels such a large need to do so.

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