Saudi Vision 2030 – Progress So Far

Last Updated on November 9, 2023 by Ameer Hamza

Vision 2030 is a roadmap to the future of Saudi Arabia. Unveiled in 2016, it is a game-changing, extremely ambitious strategy to realize the Kingdom’s full potential by becoming a globally competitive, culturally rich, and economically diverse society. Since the government introduced the vision five years ago, Saudi Arabia has seen tremendous transformation and remarkable growth through its use of technologies.

Vision 2030 Progress So Far

Saudi Arabia has made significant investments in digital infrastructures throughout the years. In 2016, the government developed a vision, and now, we can see the benefits of that vision come to fruition. In 2017, just 1.2 million urban households had access to wireless networks; that number is expected to increase to 3.5 million by 2020. Wireless internet coverage in rural areas has increased from 58,000 homes in 2015 to an expected 570,000 homes by 2020. The government funded approximately SAR 6.5 billion, or 40%, of the total infrastructure cost.

According to the Opensignal Global 5G Benchmark for June 2022, the Kingdom is in second place in the Middle East regarding 5G availability, third place in 5G Reach, and fourth place in terms of 5G Download speed. When it comes to digital competitiveness, Saudi Arabia also tops the G20. Regarding the digital competitiveness of G20 in 2021, Saudi Arabia placed second. Saudi Arabia has also made tremendous strides in the space industry. KACST-King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology launched the Saudi communications satellite to ensure reliable, high-speed interplanetary communication.

The Vision for a Prosperous Saudi Arabia has aided the country’s efforts to improve its residents’ access to healthcare by investing in cutting-edge medical technology and practice. Launched in March 2017 to improve public health by providing remote medical and preventative care, the Sehha App has already offered around 2.1 million consultations to 1.6 million users. More than 67 million appointments will have been scheduled by the end of 2020 thanks to the Mawid App, which was released in April 2018 to enable users to schedule, reschedule, change, or cancel appointments at primary healthcare centres.

Sustainability, environmental stewardship, and the conservation of natural areas are all priorities for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as outlined in Vision 2030. By substituting thermal technologies and presenting eco-friendly technology, the Kingdom’s environmental activities have contributed to a yearly decrease of 28 million tons of CO2 emissions.

Takeaways

Technology has been and will continue to be crucial to the anticipated transformation as it is the primary enabler and driver of the many potential shifts envisioned by the effort. Through Saudi Vision 2030, they plan to boost their technological investments and become a global leader in the digital economy by the year 2030. Although less than a decade is left for the country to realize its overall aim, officials intend to keep going forward at full speed.