In an op-ed published today in the New York Times, columnist Tom Friedman discussed his recent visit to Saudi Arabia and the seismic shift in governance in the Kingdom over the last year.
The columnist spent an evening with one of the Middle East’s most powerful leaders, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and said the son of King Salman “wore him out” with his energy. The Deputy Crown Prince said what many technocrats and analysts have said the Kingdom needs to power the Saudi economy through the 21st century, and Friedman noted that the young prince had “embarked on a mission to transform how Saudi Arabia is governed.”
“I am working to create for them the country they want to be living in in the future.” -Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
“’The key challenges are our overdependence on oil and the way we prepare and spend our budgets,’” Mohammed explained to Friedman. “His plan is to reduce subsidies to wealthy Saudis, who won’t get cheap gas, electricity or water anymore, possibly establish a value-added tax and sin taxes on cigarettes and sugary drinks, and both privatize and tax mines and undeveloped lands in ways that can unlock billions — so even if oil falls to $30 a barrel, Riyadh will have enough revenues to keep building the country without exhausting its savings. He’s also creating incentives for Saudis to leave government and join the private sector.”
“Seventy percent of Saudis are under age 30, and their perspective is different from the other 30 percent,” said Mohammed. “I am working to create for them the country they want to be living in in the future.”
Friedman’s rare access to Prince Mohammed bin Salman represents one of the first glimpses of the enigmatic young Saudi leader in western media.
The Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense is also chair of the powerful Committee for Economic and Development affairs, a council of ministers that oversees most of Saudi Arabia’s economy and planning.
