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What’s Next for Saudi Arabia?
As the Biden Administration tries a charm offensive on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has the advantage.
“Blinken’s Visit to Saudi Arabia Caps U.S. Effort to Rebuild Ties,” reported Edward Wong and Vivian Nereim for the New York Times on June 10, 2023. “Biden aides are closely watching Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s overtures to China, his attitude toward Israel and his balancing act with Russia and Ukraine.”
And with that, the relationship between the U.S. and one of its chief allies in the Middle East has nearly come full circle under the Biden Administration.
At the start of 2018, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s plans for the future of the oil-rich kingdom were aspirational, to say the least.
Vision 2030 was introduced in Saudi Arabia in 2016 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The plan was unveiled with great fanfare through an official announcement and a press conference held in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
During the press conference, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman outlined the main goals, objectives, and pillars of Vision 2030, along with the need for economic diversification and societal reforms. He stressed the importance of reducing the country’s dependence on oil revenues and creating a sustainable and prosperous future for Saudi Arabia.