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In the seven years since it was launched, on April 25, 2023, ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s Vision 2030 national transformation and diversification plan has celebrated a number of incredible achievements.

They have enabled the Kingdom to grow its economy at an impressive rate; in 2022 it grew by 8.7 percent, the highest rate among G20 nations. They have also given Saudi citizens a chance to excel in a future full of opportunities.

The Vision 2030 project includes 11 Vision Realization Programs designed to put its plans action and achieve its aims, and they have helped deliver remarkable success across its three pillars: Vibrant Society, Thriving Economy and Ambitious Nation.

The main goal of the Vibrant Society pillar is to establish a strong foundation for economic prosperity and create a society in which every citizen enjoys a happy, fulfilling lifestyle. Achieving this goal is complemented by enhancing standards of living to provide a safe, secure environment for families, together with access to world-class healthcare and education.

The main goal of Thriving Economy is to create an environment for unlocking business opportunities, broadening the economic base, and creating jobs for all Saudis. This is being achieved by leveraging ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s unique geographical location and potential, attracting the best talent, and increasing global investment.

The main goals of the Ambitious Nation pillar are to enable a high-performing government that is effective, transparent and accountable, and to empower Saudi nationals, the private sector and non-profit organizations to take the initiative in identifying opportunities that can help achieve the objectives of the Vision agenda.

Through these three pillars and the Realization Programs, the Kingdom has achieved astonishing performance boosts in a number of sectors and fields that have improved the quality of life for the people in ºÚÁÏÉçÇø.

On the health front, for example, the average life expectancy in the country increased from 74.8 to 75.3 years between 2016-2020. The Saudi healthcare system has benefited from substantial investment and increased digitization. As a result, more than 90 percent of patients receive emergency medical care within four hours of arrival at a medical center.

Another example of Vision 2030’s major achievements is the fact that the percentage of Saudis who own a house increased from 47 to 60 percent between 2016 and 2020.

Regarding the empowerment of women, ºÚÁÏÉçÇø scored 80 out of 100 in the 2022 World Bank Women, Business and the Law Report, an improvement of 10 points on its score from 2020.

Vision 2030 has helped support the government’s efforts to create more job opportunities for its citizens. The unemployment rate among Saudis (15 years old and over) fell from 12.8 percent in 2017 to 8 percent in 2022, and more than two million jobs had been created as of 2022.

Without any doubt, Vision 2020 has lived up to its promise and commitments by delivering some astonishing achievements over the past seven years. It has done this by drawing on the nation’s intrinsic strengths, including its symbolic position at the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds, and its strategic geographical location, to develop its role as an integral driver of international trade connecting three continents: Africa, Asia and Europe.

I believe the great achievements of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 deserve to be recognized, appreciated and marked publicly by assigning a national day of celebration that serves to educate the public at large about it and publicize in the local and foreign media all of its accomplishments.

• Talat Zaki Hafiz is an economist and financial analyst. Twitter: @TalatHafiz
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