On tonight’s episode of Foreign Correspondent, Saudi Arabia’s sweeping transformation faces a stark reality check as conflict reshapes the region around it.
ABC reporter Matthew Doran travels inside the Kingdom to examine how Vision 2030 is holding up, as war tensions test the country’s economic ambitions and future direction.
Supplied:
When the US and Israel decided to wage war against Iran, the Gulf States were caught unawares. As Iran launched unprecedented attacks on its neighbours, a period of regional stability and economic security came to an end.
For Saudi Arabia, currently undergoing a major economic and social transformation, the war could not have come at a worse time.
On Foreign Correspondent, the ABC’s Middle East reporter Matthew Doran has travelled to the Kingdom to see first-hand how Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is remaking itself.
His plan is called Vision 2030 — a multi-trillion-dollar agenda to transform the Kingdom from a petrostate into an international powerhouse for tourism, technology, culture and trade.
Matthew made his first visit to the country before the war. He returned during an uneasy ceasefire to see whether Saudi Arabia’s grand plans for the future have been thrown into jeopardy.
