It is common in the world of investment, business and marketing to label a hub as a “Makkah”, going beyond the religious significance of the holy city of the qibla to its metaphorical one. What the Saudis are witnessing today in the Kingdom of foresight that was inaugurated by Vision 2030 and its godfather, the Crown Prince, and the staging of the G20 Summit. It is the embodiment of aspirations of the new Saudi Arabia to become a qibla of religion, economy and investment. It aspires to present a model of a moderate and modern future state that helps in easing the economic, health and environmental burdens in the post-pandemic world.
The summit is being held during critical and challenging global circumstances. It is also being held virtually, underlining the nature of the digital world and its future challenges. These two factors are a source of pride, especially since Saudi Arabia has displayed foresight in its war on terrorism as stipulated in the Crown Prince’s latest historic remarks in the buildup to the summit.
The summit itself is a close reflection of Saudi Arabia’s new roles, coupled with its pioneering religious one and its weight in the Islamic world. The Kingdom plays a central role in global economic stability, sustainable development and boosting human capital. A deluge of business and investment projects are pouring not just into the Kingdom, but in other moderate countries in the region that share Saudi Arabia’s vision, starting with the belief that the state is above all other agendas. For years this vision has been unsuccessfully targeted. These attempts have been exposed to world, revealing the expansionist agendas of the mullahs in Iran and others following their lead in the region.
The G20 Summit is bringing together the leaders of 19 countries in the qibla of moderation and the future. Saudi Arabia is working tirelessly to create a unique regional example in human investment. This has become evident in the absolute transparency demonstrated by the Crown Prince in his recent remarks. His statements have repositioned Saudi Arabia on the map of countries that have made advances in handling affairs and crises, such as terrorism, the coronavirus pandemic, unemployment and the job market. He acknowledged the challenging obstacles, but the Saudis have been experiencing the positive impact of his pledge to the Kingdom.
They have felt it from the moment he unveiled his vision, which goes beyond the economy to touch on human, cultural and development issues. It specifically pushes for the establishment of an open and tolerant Saudi society that looks to the future, while still hanging on to its heritage and values. This heritage and these values were for periods of time usurped by ideologies that Saudi Arabia has been able to sever political and legal ties with. Several regional and world countries have hesitated in taking such a similar bold move. Saudi Arabia did not and its decision has been bolstered by major internal social and economic reforms, most significant of which is fighting corruption, which goes hand-in-hand with extremism, and improving transparency and accountability.
The G20 Summit is being held during a difficult time in the world that is witnessing a reshaping of political and economic balances of power. The G20 comprised 80 percent of the world’s GDP, two thirds of its population and three quarters of its trade. It is the first time that the leaders of the G20 gather in an Arab state and the qibla of the Muslims. It is being held in the post-pandemic world and after the US presidential election, with both issues weighing heavily on the unprecedented global economic recession.
Despite the challenges these issues pose, they can also present massive opportunities for the Kingdom of foresight that has succeeded on several occasions in overcoming the hurdles imposed by our current reality. It is capable through the determination of its political leadership, headed by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, who is leading Saudi Arabia on the path of unprecedented achievements in its modern history. Numbers don’t lie. For example, the Public Investment Fund has increased its growth from 560 billion to over 1.3 trillion riyals. The majority of Saudi sectors have been restructured with the goal of boosting the state’s non-oil revenues and limiting the impact of the pandemic. The Kingdom has presented a modern model of how to promote awareness about the pandemic by dedicating all state institutions to contain its spread. It has done so by prioritizing the higher national interest, protecting lives and supporting the markets, especially small and medium enterprises.
The Kingdom of foresight is destined to firmly forge ahead in the race towards stability and the prosperous state. It will reap more real successes in impacting major economies and the global markets through seizing every opportunity to build strategic partnerships that benefit the national economy, which all international figures reveal to be rapidly recovering.
Saudi Arabia has been praised for its hosting of the summit. Gratitude has also been shown to the mastermind of the new Saudi vision, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, from his real allies and young generations that make up the majority of the Saudi present and its entire future. The summit is the culmination of a long effort, ever since he took it upon himself to take the bold decision to start weaning Saudi Arabia off oil and sever ties with extremism and the enemies of life and the future.
