Crown Prince: Vision 2030 ensures continued progress, prosperity

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman affirmed that Saudi Vision 2030 has delivered a qualitative leap in the Kingdom’s development, achieving a comprehensive transformation across economic and social sectors, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

He noted that Vision 2030 enters its third and final phase in 2026, spanning the next five years through to 2030. During this phase, the focus will remain on long-term objectives, while adapting implementation to evolving priorities, ensuring continued progress and prosperity, and further strengthening the Kingdom’s position among the world’s leading nations.

The Crown Prince emphasized that the most vital investment of the Vision, since its inception, remains centered on the nation’s citizens, reaffirming that this commitment is realized through qualifying national talent, enhancing performance, and increasing efficiency to ensure they maintain a competitive edge alongside their global peers.
 

He directed all government agencies to continue their efforts within their respective mandates, anticipating and capitalizing on opportunities to deliver outcomes that benefit the nation, citizens, and the national economy. He commended the progress achieved in advancing comprehensive and sustainable development, which has placed Saudi citizens at its core and positioned the Kingdom for global leadership across key sectors.

The Crown Prince noted that Vision 2030 is now entering its third and final phase (2026–2030), reaching the peak of strategy and program execution. With delivery tools at their highest level of readiness, the Kingdom is advancing toward its goals by consolidating economic and social gains and accelerating the pace of achievement.

He stressed that despite the global economic volatility and political turmoil of the past decade, Saudi Vision 2030 has maintained its upward trajectory. He noted that the Vision has secured a series of substantive achievements through rigorous strategic planning and sound fiscal policies, rooted in a proactive and flexible approach to navigating future challenges and opportunities.
 

The Crown Prince's statement followed a Cabinet session during which it reviewed updates to Saudi Vision 2030, which has established strong foundations for a diversified and growing economy following the first and second phases. Building on this, the third phase (2026–2030) will focus on accelerating delivery and maximizing impact, through sustained implementation, continued government capital spending, and a strengthened role for the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the National Development Fund in mobilizing domestic investment.

The private sector will continue to expand its role in driving growth and diversification, alongside efforts to increase local content. Work will also continue to advance infrastructure, improve the quality of essential services, and invest in national capability building to strengthen skills and support long-term development across various local fields.

The third phase will be driven by the continued rollout of national strategies, both sectoral and regional, as long-term implementation vehicles that build on the foundations of the Vision Realization Programs (VRPs) and ensure the sustainability of impact beyond 2030.

The Cabinet emphasized that the conclusion of the third phase of Saudi Vision 2030 does not represent a final destination for the Kingdom’s development. Rather, it serves as a robust foundation for the continued growth and evolution that Saudi Arabia will witness in the coming decades. It also underscored that the Kingdom’s journey of leadership is an enduring one, fueled by the resolve of its wise leadership and the ambition of its people.

Sustainability, per Cabinet members, remains central to the Saudi Vision 2030, with each phase building on the previous to ensure continuity and lasting impact.

The Cabinet noted that 93% of performance indicators have achieved or are nearing their annual targets, with several already surpassing interim or 2030 goals. Currently, as much as 90% of the 1,290 total initiatives are complete or on track for completion following the conclusion of the Vision 2030’s first and second phases.

These stages brought over 1,000 structural, economic, fiscal, and legislative reforms, alongside more than 1,200 regulatory and procedural measures delivered over the past decade, strengthening governance, enhancing institutional effectiveness, and expanding opportunities across sectors.

In turn, this has supported the growth of new economic activities, empowered the private sector, attracted investment, and improved overall quality of life across the Kingdom.

As a result, Saudi Arabia’s global position has strengthened, supported by increased economic competitiveness, sustained progress across international indicators, and its growing role in shaping solutions to pressing global challenges, hence contributing to greater stability and shared prosperity.

This, according to the Cabinet, was made possible through strategic planning and sound fiscal policies, based on flexibility, proactivity, and anticipating future challenges and opportunities.

The Cabinet reviewed the trajectory of the Vision across its phases, noting that its first phase (2016–2021) focused on building the foundations for transformation through restructuring state institutions and establishing medium-term delivery vehicles, including VRPs.

This phase also required targeted and rapid interventions to align government spending with development priorities. This included the implementation of a comprehensive fiscal roadmap covering revenues, expenditures, public debt, and reserves.

Other measures were also introduced to strengthen transparency and accountability, combat corruption, and enhance the monitoring of government performance. Together, these efforts completed the planning, financing, and measurement cycle, contributing to a higher level of institutional maturity and readiness across government entities.

At the same time, the Saudi Vision 2030 empowered the private sector by removing structural barriers, while restructuring the PIF and positioning it as a key driver of diversification. Untapped sectors were advanced, partnerships expanded, and major projects and new companies were launched to drive growth and transformation.

This has been driven by the strategic investment of assets, the development of local and international partnerships, and the launch of mega projects such as NEOM, The Red Sea, Diriyah, and Qiddiya. These initiatives, which extend in phases beyond 2030, reflect the scale of the Kingdom’s ambitions and its ongoing transformation.

The Cabinet stated that between 2021 and 2025-end, the Saudi Vision 2030 operated in its second phase, focusing on accelerating progress through further reforms and expanding the momentum of transformation by building on previous achievements.

These years witnessed improved government service quality, accelerated implementation of national plans, an expanded role for the private sector, and the empowerment of citizens alongside the growth of specialized human capabilities and talent.

This period was accompanied by an increase in government and PIF projects designed to capitalize on emerging opportunities across various sectors. Additionally, this phase saw the development of national strategies to drive sustainable growth and an expansion of government capital spending across several sectors, aimed at maximizing their economic and social returns.

The Cabinet then reviewed the qualitative achievements and sustainable gains delivered across the first two phases of the Saudi Vision 2030, spanning its three pillars: a Vibrant Society, a Thriving Economy, and an Ambitious Nation.

Under a Vibrant Society, efforts focused on improving quality of life and promoting healthier lifestyles through numerous nationwide initiatives. Key projects include advancing urban humanization, preparing neighborhoods and parks, increasing sports facilities, and opening a large portion of the Sports Boulevard project, now a major landmark in Riyadh. These efforts increased the percentage of adults practicing sports to 59.1%, exceeding both annual and future targets through 2027. The council commended efforts to solidify prevention principles and promote a healthy lifespan, expanding health services to cover 97.5% of population centers. Consequently, average life expectancy in the Kingdom has risen to over 79.7 years, nearing the 2030 target of 80 years.

The Cabinet praised the transformation in diverse housing support solutions implemented under Vision 2030, including mortgage financing, the diversification of real estate supply, and ease of access via electronic platforms.

These efforts, supported by new market regulations and bylaws, have increased Saudi homeownership to 66.24%, versus levels that did not exceed 47% for many years. The council emphasized that this investment in national talent and expertise is the most significant since the Vision’s launch.

By empowering young men and women through educational, vocational, and technical training, the Kingdom has made its citizens globally competitive. This was achieved through expanded job opportunities, modernized curricula, and new scholarship specializations. Consequently, the number of Saudi students in the world’s top 200 universities has more than doubled to 28,493. Additionally, 22 Saudi universities were included in the 2025 QS World University Rankings, with three educational institutions entering the global top 200, according to the World University Rankings.

The Cabinet highlighted the role of institutional integration and effective governance in enhancing service efficiency for pilgrims and increasing capacity within the hospitality, transportation, and infrastructure sectors. As a result, the number of Umrah pilgrims from outside the Kingdom reached an all-time high by the end of 2025, exceeding 18 million muslims. These pilgrims were able to perform Umrah and visit the Grand Mosque with ease and comfort.

It also highlighted the Kingdom's rich cultural heritage and deep-rooted civilization, which distinguish it both 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.

Furthermore, the Kingdom has added over 80 cultural professions to the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations, enabling a robust and sustainable cultural industry. These efforts have contributed to Vision 2030's goals, including the inclusion of eight sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List, thereby strengthening Saudi Arabia's cultural presence on the global stage.

The Cabinet addressed the progress achieved under the "Thriving Economy" pillar, highlighting the resilience, flexibility, and competitiveness that have enabled the Saudi economy to withstand global fluctuations and maintain stable inflation. Real GDP continued its upward trajectory, exceeding the SAR 4 trillion mark to reach SAR 4.9 trillion by the end of 2025. This growth was driven by the consistent expansion of non-oil activities, which now contribute 55% to the GDP, constituting more than half of the national economy.

Furthermore, the Kingdom jumped more than 20 places in the IMF World Competitiveness Ranking, becoming the 17th globally. The national economy also ranked third among G20 countries in terms of growth projections for 2026 and 2027, despite the regional and global turmoil affecting most economies worldwide, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Cabinet commended the unique approach of Saudi Vision 2030 in developing economic sectors, which integrates maximizing traditional sectors with advancing emerging ones as new pillars of the national economy. Leveraging its natural resources to optimize the energy sector's impact, the Kingdom has established a diversified and integrated energy system.

This has led to a significant increase in renewable energy generation capacity, which rose from zero in 2016 to 64 gigawatts by the end of 2025. Furthermore, the Kingdom has invested in its latent mining potential, increasing the estimated value of mineral wealth by 90% to reach SAR 9.4 trillion, up from SAR 4.9 trillion at present.

The Kingdom has revitalized its tourism, entertainment, culture, and sports sectors by leveraging its unique and largely unexplored natural and geographical diversity. This includes archaeological sites, pristine coastlines and islands, mountains, deserts, and a varied climate, alongside a rich cultural heritage that has created a multifaceted tourism map rarely found elsewhere in the world. Today, tourism contributes approximately 5% to the GDP.

At the same time, Vision 2030 has focused on investing in foundational sectors such as industry, transportation, and logistics, considering them cornerstones for driving sustainable growth.

The number of factories in the Kingdom has risen to 12,900, with investments totaling approximately SAR 1.2 trillion. Non-oil merchandise exports have grown from SAR 242 billion to over SAR 623 billion.

The development of transportation infrastructure, including ports, airports, and railways, has played a pivotal role in establishing the Kingdom as a vital logistics hub, with the number of operational logistics centers increasing to 24.

During its implementation, the Vision, driven by an opportunity-seeking mindset, invested in emerging sectors that shape future economies, 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 artificial intelligence criterion within the Global AI Index. This progress was further solidified by advancements in the sports and esports sectors, culminating in hosting the first Esports World Cup and winning the championship title twice consecutively.

The Cabinet commended the 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 SAR 720 billion in 2015 to over SAR 3.4 trillion, with total spending over the past five years reaching SAR 750 billion on domestic investments, representing 60% of the total.

The PIF’s high-quality projects have witnessed significant progress in recent years. This included the opening of the first parks within the Qiddiya project by the end of 2025 and the inauguration of The Red Sea destination, featuring five marine resorts situated on one of the world's largest coral reefs. These represent the initial stages of opening both destinations to their full operational capacity.

The Cabinet also reviewed the progress of the logistics link between NEOM Port and key international ports in Europe and Asia, which halved the arrival time for shipments to the Kingdom.

Commending the phased progress of these projects, Cabinet members emphasized their strategic role in leveraging the Kingdom’s natural resources while ensuring the ecological preservation and long-term sustainability of the environment.

The Cabinet commended AlUla's unique position on the regional and global tourism scene, noting its designation as the first destination in the Middle East by the World Travel Market. Additionally, it won the Middle East's leading cultural tourism project award for three consecutive years (2023–2025) at the World Travel Awards Middle East.

It also praised the progress in developing and renovating the historic Diriyah area, home to the At-Turaif District, one of Saudi Arabia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This development resulted in over 3.6 million tourist visits by the end of 2025.

Furthermore, Cabinet members hailed the direct impact of Vision 2030 projects on the tourism sector’s performance, which surpassed the initial 2030 target of 100 million tourists and reached 123 million by the end of 2025. This success has generated over SAR 300 billion in total tourism spending, prompting the Vision’s target to be raised to 150 million tourists by 2030.

The Cabinet affirmed that the Vision’s efforts over the previous two phases, along with the resulting acceleration in economic activity and the creation of an attractive business environment, have successfully stimulated and empowered the private sector. Since 2016, the number of small and medium-sized enterprises has tripled, exceeding 1.7 million in total. The private sector’s contribution to real GDP has reached 51%, while foreign direct investment inflows have increased fivefold, rising from SAR28 billion in 2017 to SAR 133 billion in 2025.

Additionally, more than 700 international companies have established regional headquarters in the Kingdom. These factors have driven a significant decrease in Saudi unemployment, which reached a low of 7.2% by the end of 2025, down from 12.3% in 2016.

Furthermore, women’s labor market participation rose to 35%, up from 22.8% in 2016, fueled by the continuous generation of job opportunities and the high readiness of young men and women to enter the workforce.

The Cabinet also reviewed the achievements within the "Ambitious Nation" pillar, specifically highlighting the Kingdom’s remarkable progress across various international indicators. It commended the advanced digital infrastructure that propelled the Kingdom up 25 places in the UN E-Government Development Index, where it achieved sixth place globally. Furthermore, the council noted the Kingdom's continued advancement in the Global Cybersecurity Index, where it made a significant leap from the 46th rank to first place globally.

Beyond positioning the Kingdom as a global destination for premier events, spanning sports, the arts, and multi-sectoral conferences, Saudi Arabia has become a central hub for diverse international interests over the past decade.

This is evidenced by its successful hosting of the Dakar Rally for seven years and its upcoming role as host of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and the Expo 2030 Riyadh. This trajectory is set to culminate in the hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, marking a historic milestone in the Kingdom's journey as a world-class event destination.

The Cabinet also praised the efforts to regulate and empower the non-profit sector, improving its operational mechanisms and funding opportunities to participate alongside the public and private sectors in the Kingdom's development journey. As a result, the non-profit sector's contribution to the GDP has increased from 0.2% to 1.4%. Furthermore, the number of volunteers in the Kingdom has more than doubled, exceeding the original 2030 target and surpassing 1.7 million volunteers.

Cabinet members 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 served as key drivers for the transformation process and the acceleration of achievement. They praised the enabling structure established by these programs, which supports the continuity of implementation and a robust institutional and knowledge legacy. This foundation ensures the sustainability of growth and the integration of efforts toward achieving the objectives of Vision 2030.

The Cabinet noted that last year witnessed the completion of the Fiscal Sustainability Program and Privatization Program after they successfully achieved their established goals and finalized their implementation plans.

The work initiated by these programs will now be completed by the relevant government entities, including ministries, authorities, centers, and other programs, all of which will build upon these successes to enhance growth sustainability.

The Cabinet further indicated that other programs would conclude their work successively over the coming years as they fulfill their objectives, while some will be redirected to achieve specific strategic goals extending until 2030.