by Anas Alyusuf

The recent interview of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman can best be described as transparent and candid with a sense of pride in our national identity.

The interview truly reflected the unique personality of the Crown Prince as a matchless leader par excellence who is keen on building a strong nation that can overcome challenges regardless of their gravity.

The Crown Prince possesses extraordinary charisma that is rare among many of the world leaders, as he takes matters into his hands without hesitation or equivocation, and he has integrity in opinions that has earned him the respect and appreciation of all Saudis without any exception.

Although a few years have passed since the start of implementation of Vision 2030, with the grace of God and then with the personal follow-up from the Crown Prince, it has been able to break and achieve many of its important targets, whether in terms of homeownership or raising non-oil revenues and other focused areas.

The appearance of the Crown Prince in the media limelight reflects his broad views toward many regional and global issues and developments, especially his dedication to study things thoroughly as well as his citing of figures that talk about future economic situations in major countries of the world.

In the Crown Prince’s dictionary, the reluctance to exploit opportunities means “inaction,” and accelerated steps are the only way to achieve targets, no matter whether they are numerous or little, as long as the goal is to raise human capabilities and create new horizons.

The Crown Prince has displayed his closeness to every Saudi man and woman, especially when he spoke about them, their concerns and aspirations, and the steps taken by the government as well as some of its decisions that are aimed primarily at building a more prosperous future for Saudis.

The success story narrated by the Crown Prince on the journey of transformation to Vision 2030 deserves to be an exemplary model in the government building processes, by empowering competencies, excluding the incompetent and building a generation armed with passion at the leadership and the second level.

The feeling of the pain that the Crown Prince articulated during his talk about raising the value-added tax (VAT) reflects his understanding and a deep sense of concern toward Saudi male and female citizens, but as a leader he has dealt with the issue clinically, keeping pace with what is required in the context of the economic condition as per the available data and in a way that contributes to building a much better and ideal society.

Despite the good standard achieved by the state in combating unemployment, the Crown Prince expressed his complete dissatisfaction and his hope that every Saudi man and woman will have a decent job.

The Crown Prince’s revelation that the ROSHN Real Estate Company project was an idea proposed during the time of King Faisal and the beginning of the period of King Khalid by Prince Musaed Bin Abdul Rahman, reflects his familiarity with Saudi history and the period of rule of each of the previous Kings as well as his in-depth study of each of the state sectors, as well as his ability to make use of the best proposals that were aborted by some in the past.

Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman also showed that he has a special point of view regarding tourism projects in the Kingdom, as he does not wish to reproduce any global projects, and is keen to provide a new experience that woos tourists to the Kingdom.

The Crown Prince’s affirmation of his keenness to raise good jobs for citizens in the Kingdom from 50 percent to 80 percent reflects the seriousness and commitment of the state to improve citizens’ income and the quality of their lives.

The Health Transformation Program is one of the most important new programs in Vision 2030 as it seeks to cover the largest possible number of citizens, including the government and private-sector workers, with insurance policy as it will stimulate the sector to develop medical facilities.

The Crown Prince looks at the Kingdom’s development in a holistic way and hence there is no distinction between one city and another or a region from another, but rather one nation that seeks to stimulate the capabilities it possesses in advancing the economy and creating job opportunities for citizens.

Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman leaves no scope for those who adopt fraudulent means with regard to Vision 2030 and the ongoing social reforms, by affirming commitment to the Kingdom’s constitution of the Qur’an and the Sunnah as well as to the Basic Law of Governance and its application in the best possible way in a broad sense that includes one and all.

For Crown Prince Muhammad, the Saudi identity is not a weak identity, but rather a strong identity that derives from its Islamic and historical originality and legacy, and has developed over time in a way that does not violate its core identity.

The Vision’s pathways, steered by the unending drive of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, are attaining their goals in a timely and systematic manner, showing that there is no place in the Kingdom except for the Saudi National Project, far from dark projects — whether extremist or terrorist projects.

And the achievements in all fronts, especially the women empowerment and social progress, re-emphasizes that the Kingdom is a state of moderation and tolerance, and its people too are likewise.