I still remember the day Saudi Vision 2030 was announced. It was April 25, 2016, and I was lounging in my living room, half-watching the news while messing around on my phone.
Then, it hit – like a bolt out of nowhere. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled a future for Saudi Arabia so daring, so unthinkable, that it stopped me in my tracks.
Diversifying the economy, cutting our reliance on oil, boosting public services – it was a vision no one in a million years saw coming. I felt the air shift, even alone in that room. I grabbed my phone, called my friends, my father, and we all buzzed with the same question: Could this actually happen?
Back then, I was in my late 20s, a child of the late ‘80s, dreaming of a simple life. A steady job – maybe something cushy in a government office – decent pay, and enough time off to jet away on vacations.
That was the plan: work to live, not live to work. Weekends were mine, sacred even. But Vision 2030 crashed into that quiet dream like a wake-up call I didn’t know I needed. Suddenly, I wasn’t just thinking about my own little world – I was asking, ‘How can I be part of this?’ It flipped a switch in me, and I wasn’t alone.
Now? I’m a business owner. I work day and night even on weekends not because I have to but because I want to. Every tiny win feels like a bite of this massive, juicy apple we call Vision 2030.
I used to crave travel as an escape – now, I only hit the road if it’s for work. It’s not just a job anymore; it’s a mission. I remember one late night, drowning in presentations, wondering if I’d bitten off more than I could chew. But then I glanced out the window – city lights twinkling, streets alive – and it hit me: this is what progress looks like. This is what we’re building. Exhaustion turned to pride, and I kept going.
This vision isn’t just rewriting our story – it’s redrawing the global map. Saudi Arabia isn’t playing catch-up; it’s leaping ahead, aiming to stand among the top five leaders of this world. The ripple effect is real. Our neighbors feel it too – it’s like a rising tide lifting every boat in sight. Projects like NEOM aren’t just ours; they’re pulling in talent and dreams from across the planet. The tourism boom, the cultural explosion – film festivals, art galleries, concerts – it’s elevating everything and everyone who even brushes up against it.
But the real magic? It’s in our heads, our hearts. There’s this psychological shift humming through Saudi nationals. It’s a quiet fire – positive competition, a hunger to own our future, a refusal to settle for less than the best.
Before, I felt like I was stuck in some dull Matrix, going through the motions. Now, it’s like I’m in the greatest game ever – every day throws new challenges my way, and yeah, it’s tough, but it’s thrilling. In a single year, I’ve faced more than some do in a lifetime, and the payoff?
That sweet, personal stake in the outcome. It’s mine, and it’s ours. I see it everywhere – Saudis of all ages shaping their lives, their country, with focus and respect. As the Crown Prince, the godfather of this vision, put it: when Saudi rises, the whole region gets a lift. And we’re rising, alright. This isn’t just about economics or ideology – it’s a love story.
A story of a nation falling hard for its own potential, of people like me waking up to a purpose bigger than ourselves. It’s a promise we’re living out, day by day, and I’m all in – proud of my country, optimistic for my people, and grateful to call this land home. We’re not just building a future; we’re crafting something eternal. And I’m honored to be along for the ride.
By Abdulelah S. Al-Nahari, Managing Director at Fuse Integrated, focusing on Growth & Culture.
