Driven by the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is making rapid strides toward a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation, guided by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. This transformative journey, built upon the Kingdom's inherent strengths, realizes the Crown Prince's assertion that "all success stories start with a vision, and successful visions are based on strong pillars."
Crown Prince Mohammed underscored the Kingdom’s progress by saying: "Nine years into Vision 2030, we stand proud of what our people have accomplished. They have turned ambition into action and goals into milestones. We have not only met key targets – we have surpassed many. Looking ahead, our resolve is stronger than ever. We will accelerate delivery, embrace every opportunity, and further elevate the Kingdom’s position as a global leader."
Saudi Arabia is witnessing a significant transformation across all sectors, fueled by the remarkable progress in realizing Saudi Vision 2030's goals through its vision realization programs and integrated national strategies. This progress is underpinned by the Kingdom's rich human and natural resources, robust investment capabilities, economic strength, prominent Arab, Islamic, and international standing, and strategic geographic location.
Saudi Vision 2030 is charting a course that integrates culture and innovation, adapting to rapid global changes and creating broader opportunities for citizens, residents, and visitors.
Implemented in three five-year phases, each building on the successes of the last, the vision's initial phase focused on foundational structural, economic, financial, and social reforms. The second phase accelerated progress and maximized the benefits of key sectors. The upcoming third phase aims to enhance the sustainability of this transformation and capitalize on emerging growth opportunities.
Marking the ninth year since the launch of this ambitious vision, the Vision 2030 Annual Report 2024 offers a comprehensive overview of the vision's journey, encompassing past phases, achievements, preparations for the future, and its associated programs and national strategies.
The second section of the report details the vision's performance through first and second-level indicators, showcasing overall progress in its programs and initiatives. It highlights achievements across the three pillars: a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation. The third section provides an in-depth look at key accomplishments in 2024 across four axes: a fast-growing economy, an empowered society, a leading destination, and a sustainable vision.
At the beginning of the report, King Salman expressed God almighty for the achievements accomplished by the Kingdom in just under a decade. The transformation has made it into a model for transformation in the world and across all sectors, he remarked.
He expressed his pride in Saudi citizens who made this transformation and drive towards progress and prosperity possible. “We will continue to forge ahead towards achieving more sustainable development for the coming generations,” he vowed.
According to the report, 85% of the 1,502 active initiatives are either completed or on track (674 completed and 596 on track). Impressively, 93% of national program and strategy indicators have met, exceeded, or are close to meeting their 2024 interim targets, with 257 exceeding annual goals and eight vision targets achieved six years ahead of schedule.
Several 2030 targets have already been met, including exceeding 100 million tourists, registering eight Saudi sites on UNESCO World Heritage List, and reaching 1.2 million volunteers (surpassing the one million goal). Women's labor force participation reached 33.5%, exceeding the 2030 target of 30%.
The Kingdom also achieved its 7% unemployment target. The country’s e-participation ranking soared 32 places since 2016 to seventh globally, surpassing its top ten target. Similarly, its UN E-Government Development Index ranking climbed 30 places to sixth globally, nearing its top five ambition. Furthermore, the number of international companies establishing regional headquarters in the Kingdom has already exceeded the 2030 target, reaching over 571.
Regarding key indicators related to "vibrant society," the Kingdom achieved remarkable milestones. A historic high of 16.92 million foreign Umrah pilgrims was recorded, significantly exceeding the 2024 target of 11.3 million. Home ownership among Saudi households reached 65.4%, a substantial increase from 47% in 2016 and already surpassing the 2025 target.
Healthcare coverage expanded to 96.4% of population centers, putting the Kingdom within reach of its 2030 goal of 99.5%. Furthermore, the percentage of adults engaging in the recommended 150 minutes of weekly physical activity rose to 58.5%, exceeding the 2024 target, alongside 18.7% of children and adolescents meeting the daily 60-minute recommendation. This progress contributes to an increased average life expectancy of 78.8 years, moving closer to the 2030 target of 80 years.
Advanced indicators for "thriving economy" reveal that the Public Investment Fund's assets under management have more than tripled since Vision 2030's launch, reaching SAR3.53 trillion and exceeding the 2024 target. The private sector's contribution to GDP reached 47%, surpassing the 2024 target. The localization of military industries has also seen substantial growth, reaching 19.35%, a notable increase from 7.7% in 2021.
In its ninth year, the Kingdom's Vision 2030 continues its strong momentum, achieving significant milestones. Employment in small and medium-sized enterprises reached 7.86 million, surpassing the 2024 target. Four Saudi universities now rank among the world's top 500, with King Saud University achieving a global rank of 90th – a first for a Saudi institution in the top 100.
The "ambitious nation" goal also demonstrates progress, with 71.67% of large companies offering CSR programs, exceeding the 2024 target. The non-profit sector's contribution to GDP reached 0.99%, moving towards the 2030 goal of 5%, while employment in this sector increased to 0.64%.
Under the report’s "fast-growing economy" section, the Kingdom rose to 16th place in the global competitiveness index, maintaining its leading position in venture capital across the Middle East and North Africa with a 40% share.
Exceptional achievements within "empowered society" include the Seha Virtual Hospital's entry into the Guinness World Records as the largest virtual hospital globally. Furthermore, seven Saudi hospitals are now among the top 250 worldwide, with King Faisal Specialist Hospital recognized as the global leader in medical technology utilization.
The accreditation of 16 Saudi cities as healthy cities positions the Kingdom as the highest-ranking nation in the region for globally accredited healthy cities. The readiness of health areas to confront health risks has also increased significantly to 92%.
By the end of 2024, over 850,000 Saudi families achieved homeownership. The digital transformation of the judicial system saw 98% of litigation sessions conducted electronically, totaling over 2.3 million sessions. Additionally, more than 5.3 million electronic powers of attorney were issued, benefiting over six million individuals.
Saudi students excelled internationally, securing 114 medals and grand prizes at the prestigious ISEF 2024 and ITEX 2024 science, engineering, and invention competitions.
Efforts to empower national talent continue to yield results, with over 437,000 Saudi citizens joining the private sector workforce in 2024 through Human Resources Development Fund programs. By the end of 2024, around 2.4 million Saudi men and women were employed in the private sector.
The Kingdom has made significant strides in empowering women, with the percentage of Saudi women in middle and senior management positions reaching 43.8%. Their participation in the labor market has also seen remarkable growth, increasing to 36% by the end of 2024, a substantial rise from 17% in 2017.
Safety and Security have also seen notable improvements. The traffic accident death rate per 100,000 people decreased from 17.6 in 2018 to 12.3 in 2024. Furthermore, the confidence index in the Kingdom's security services reached an impressive 99.85%.
In digital leadership, the Kingdom has secured advanced global positions, ranking first in the internet users index, second globally in both the digital transformation index for companies and the technology development and application index.
The sports sector has witnessed considerable growth, with the number of sports clubs covering diverse activities increasing to 128 and the number of sports federations rising to 97 – a growth rate exceeding 200%. The percentage of Saudi women engaging in weekly sports activities has reached 46%.
Under the "leading destination" section, the Kingdom advanced to 16th place globally in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook. It won the bid to host the largest edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2034, becoming the first nation to host this expanded event independently. The Kingdom also established the Esports World Cup and hosted its inaugural edition.
Continuing its efforts to boost the international competitiveness of Saudi cities, Madinah was listed among the top 100 global tourist destinations for 2024, and AlUla became the first Middle Eastern destination accredited by Destinations International. The electronic visa program was expanded to include 66 countries.
Development continues on major tourism projects, with Qiddiya's Aquarabia reaching an 81% completion rate and Six Flags at 87%. International tourism revenues saw a significant increase of 148% compared to 2019, and entertainment events attracted 76.9 million visitors. The Kingdom also led the G20 in international tourist arrivals.
Cultural enrichment saw 16 cultural elements inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The first specialized college of arts was launched at King Saud University, and the ALLaM model was integrated into IBM watsonx platform as a leading generative AI model in Arabic, bolstering Arabic content on international platforms.
In line with the report’s "sustainable vision" section, significant environmental initiatives have been undertaken, including the planting of over 115 million trees and the rehabilitation of more than 118,000 hectares of degraded land. The agricultural sector's contribution to GDP reached SAR114 billion, and over 7,800 endangered animals were resettled.
The launch of the first hydrogen-powered bus and taxi marked a step towards sustainable transportation, and four additional renewable energy projects were commissioned, driving the cost of renewable electricity production to some of the lowest global levels. The world's first solar-powered desalination plant was also established.
Reflecting on these achievements in its ninth year, the Kingdom's Vision 2030 has demonstrably matured ahead of schedule, delivering results that have surpassed expectations. This success is attributed to effective planning, dedicated effort, and the ambition of the Saudi people.
