Riyadh: His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, affirmed that Saudi Vision 2030, under the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has delivered a qualitative leap in the Kingdom's development, achieving a comprehensive transformation across economic and social sectors.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Vision 2030 enters its third and final phase in 2026, spanning the next five years through to 2030. During this phase, the focus will remain on long-term objectives, while adapting implementation to evolving priorities, ensuring continued progress and prosperity, and further strengthening the Kingdom's position among the world's leading nations.
HRH the Crown Prince emphasized that the most vital investment of the Vision, since its inception, remains centered on the nation's citizens, reaffirming that this commitment is realized through qualifying national talent, enhancing performance, and increasing efficiency to ensure they maintain a competitive edge alongside their global peers.
HRH the Crown Prince directed all government agencies to continue their efforts within their respective mandates, anticipating and capitalizing on opportunities to deliver outcomes that benefit the nation, citizens, and the national economy. He commended the progress achieved in advancing comprehensive and sustainable development, which has placed Saudi citizens at its core and positioned the Kingdom for global leadership across key sectors.
HRH the Crown Prince noted that Vision 2030 is now entering its third and final phase (2026-2030), reaching the peak of strategy and program execution. With delivery tools at their highest level of readiness, the Kingdom is advancing toward its goals by consolidating economic and social gains and accelerating the pace of achievement.
HRH the Crown Prince stressed that despite the global economic volatility and political turmoil of the past decade, Saudi Vision 2030 has maintained its upward trajectory. He noted that the Vision has secured a series of substantive achievements through rigorous strategic planning and sound fiscal policies, rooted in a proactive and flexible approach to navigating future challenges and opportunities.
HRH the Crown Prince's statement followed a council session during which it reviewed updates to Saudi Vision 2030, which has established strong foundations for a diversified and growing economy following the first and second phases. Building on this, the third phase (2026-2030) will focus on accelerating delivery and maximizing impact, through sustained implementation, continued government capital spending, and a strengthened role for the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the National Development Fund in mobilizing domestic investment.
The private sector will continue to expand its role in driving growth and diversification, alongside efforts to increase local content. Work will also continue to advance infrastructure, improve the quality of essential services, and invest in national capability building to strengthen skills and support long-term development across various fields.
The third phase will be driven by the continued rollout of national strategies, both sectoral and regional, as long-term implementation vehicles that build on the foundations of the Vision Realization Programs (VRPs) and ensure the sustainability of impact beyond 2030.
The council emphasized that the conclusion of the third phase of Saudi Vision 2030 does not represent a final destination for the Kingdom's development. Rather, it serves as a robust foundation for the continued growth and evolution that Saudi Arabia will witness in the coming decades. The council underscored that the Kingdom's journey of leadership is an enduring one, fueled by the resolve of its wise leadership and the ambition of its people.
The council emphasized that sustainability remains central to Vision 2030, with each phase building on the previous to ensure continuity and lasting impact.
The council noted that 93% of performance indicators have achieved or are nearing their annual targets, with several already surpassing interim or 2030 goals. Currently, 90% of the 1,290 total initiatives are complete or on track following the conclusion of the Vision's first and second phases. These stages brought over 1,000 structural, economic, fiscal, and legislative reforms, alongside more than 1,200 regulatory and procedural measures delivered over the past decade, strengthening governance, enhancing institutional effectiveness, and expanding opportunities across sectors. In turn, this has supported the growth of new economic activities, empowered the private sector, attracted investment, and improved overall quality of life across the Kingdom. As a result, Saudi Arabia's global position has strengthened, supported by increased economic competitiveness, sustained progress across international indicators, and its growing role in shaping solutions to pressing global challenges, contributing to greater sta bility and shared prosperity.
The council emphasized that this has been made possible through strategic planning and sound fiscal policies, based on flexibility, proactivity and anticipating future challenges and opportunities.
The council reviewed the trajectory of the Vision across its phases, noting that its first phase (2016-2021) focused on building the foundations for transformation through restructuring state institutions and establishing medium-term delivery vehicles, including Vision Realization Programs. This phase also required targeted and rapid interventions to align government spending with development priorities. This included the development of a comprehensive fiscal roadmap covering revenues, expenditures, public debt, and reserves.
Measures were also introduced to strengthen transparency and accountability, combat corruption, and enhance the monitoring of government performance. Together, these efforts completed the planning, financing, and measurement cycle, contributing to a higher level of institutional maturity and readiness across government entities.
At the same time, Vision 2030 empowered the private sector by removing structural barriers, while restructuring the Public Investment Fund and positioning it as a key driver of diversification. Untapped sectors were advanced, partnerships expanded, and major projects and new companies launched to drive growth and transformation.
This has been driven by the strategic investment of assets, the development of local and international partnerships, and the launch of major projects such as NEOM, the Red Sea, Diriyah, and Qiddiya. These initiatives, which extend in phases beyond 2030, reflect the scale of the Kingdom's ambitions and its ongoing transformation.
The council stated that between 2021 and the end of 2025, the Vision operated in its second phase, focusing on accelerating progress through further reforms and expanding the momentum of transformation by building on previous achievements. These years witnessed improved government service quality, accelerated implementation of national plans, an expanded role for the private sector, and the empowerment of citizens alongside the growth of specialized human capabilities and talent. This period was accompanied by an increase in government and PIF projects designed to capitalize on emerging opportunities across various sectors. Additionally, this phase saw the development of national strategies to drive sustainable growth and an expansion of government capital spending across several sectors, aimed at maximizing their economic and social returns.
The council then reviewed the qualitative achievements and sustainable gains delivered across the first two phases of Vision 2030, spanning its three pillars: a Vibrant Society, a Thriving Economy, and an Ambitious Nation.
Under a Vibrant Society, efforts focused on improving quality of life and promoting healthier lifestyles through numerous nationwide initiatives. Key projects include advancing urban humanization, preparing neighborhoods and parks, increasing sports facilities, and opening a large portion of the Sports Boulevard project, now a major landmark in Riyadh. These efforts increased the percentage of adults practicing sports to 59.1%, exceeding both annual and future targets through 2027. The council commended efforts to solidify prevention principles and promote a healthy lifespan, expanding health services to cover 97.5% of population centers. Consequently, average life expectancy in the Kingdom has risen to over 79.7 years, nearing the 2030 target of 80 years.
The council praised the transformation in diverse housing support solutions implemented under Vision 2030, including mortgage financing, the diversification of real estate supply, and facilitated access via electronic platforms. These efforts, supported by new market regulations and bylaws, have increased Saudi homeownership to 66.24%, up from levels that did not exceed 47% for many years. The council emphasized that this investment in national talent and expertise is the most significant since the Vision's launch. By empowering young men and women through educational, vocational, and technical training, the Kingdom has made its citizens globally competitive. This was achieved through expanded job opportunities, modernized curricula, and new scholarship specializations. Consequently, the number of Saudi students in the world's top 200 universities has more than doubled to 28,493. Additionally, 22 Saudi universities were included in the 2025 QS World University Rankings, with three institutions entering the gl obal top 200 according to the World University Rankings.
The council highlighted the role of institutional integration and effective governance in enhancing service efficiency for pilgrims and increasing capacity within the hospitality, transportation, and infrastructure sectors. As a result, the number of Umrah pilgrims from outside the Kingdom reached an all-time high by the end of 2025, exceeding 18 million. These pilgrims were able to perform Umrah and visit the Grand Mosque with ease and comfort.
The council also highlighted the Kingdom's rich cultural heritage and deep-rooted civilization, which distinguish it both regionally and globally. This has driven the Kingdom to leverage its cultural assets and human resources, establishing more than 13 government entities dedicated to cultural affairs since the launch of Vision 2030. Furthermore, the Kingdom has added over 80 cultural professions to the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations, enabling a robust and sustainable cultural industry. These efforts have contributed to Vision 2030's goals, including the inclusion of eight sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List, thereby strengthening Saudi Arabia's cultural presence on the global stage.
The council addressed the progress achieved under the "thriving economy" pillar, highlighting the resilience, flexibility, and competitiveness that have enabled the Saudi economy to withstand global fluctuations and maintain stable inflation. Real GDP continued its upward trajectory, exceeding the SAR4 trillion mark to reach SAR