On April 25 the Saudi government announced Vision 2030, a sweeping plan for moving the kingdom beyond oil dependence. AGSIW will closely follow as the reform plan unfolds and examine the implications in the new series "Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia Beyond Oil." Read more
Gulf Economic Barometer
AGSIW is pleased to announce the launch of the Gulf Economic Barometer, as part of Market Watch. The barometer monitors initiatives taken by Gulf states as they seek fiscal, monetary, and labor policy changes to meet the challenge of reduced state revenue from natural resources. Read more
On April 25, the Saudi government presented to the public Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a sweeping plan for moving the kingdom beyond oil dependence. This plan involves dramatic changes including the privatization of a small portion of the Saudi national oil company ARAMCO; the expansion of the resources and role of the Saudi Public Investment Fund; and the development of the country’s ports, cultural resources, and tourist sites to take advantage of its strategic position at the center of the Arab and Islamic world. AGSIW spoke with a cross section of Saudi thinkers and opinion leaders to elicit their reaction to Saudi Vision 2030 and its presentation in an Al Arabiya interview with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). Read more
The restructuring of Saudi Arabia’s petroleum ministry into a new powerful Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources (MEIMR), announced as part of a larger government reorganization on May 7, is a central pillar of the new Vision 2030 unveiled at the end of April by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). Read more
It’s going to be a long, hot summer, full of anticipation. As the frenzy of ministry reshuffles announced on May 7 in Saudi Arabia surprised both domestic and international markets, there is a cautious attitude of “wait and see” prevailing in the private sector. Each week seems to bring new announcements in the Western media of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to transform the Saudi economy. This weekend, it was the announcement of new ministers and a rearrangement of ministries, including that Khalid al-Falih will replace veteran oil minister Ali al-Naimi. Falih is chairman of Aramco and previously served as CEO of the company. Read more
Intellect Jeddah is a grassroots organization initiated by two young Saudi women, Renad Amjad and Amna Fatani, with an eye toward creating a thriving intellectual environment in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Targeting youth age 19-29, most of Intellect’s participants are students who seek thoughtful discussion on topics not readily available at their universities. The initiative aims to offer participants knowledge development, skill building, and networking opportunities. Read more
The battle to define the policy legacy of any two-term American presidency usually emerges as the election for a successor begins in earnest. Ever the astute campaigner, Barack Obama initiated the current debate through a series of interviews to The Atlantic magazine, published as The Obama Doctrine. The conversation has just been significantly extended by a profile in The New York Times of White House communications guru Ben Rhodes. Read more
