The Saudi Crown Prince may claim that the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia has fulfilled the dreams of many of his people, but the reality is that a huge number of Saudi citizens are wishing to be part of the middle class due to the sharp decline in living standards for hundreds of thousands of them, as a result of failed economic policies of MBS, the high cost of goods and services, and the unprecedented high tax rates.
The American “Stratfor” website discussed the gap that occurred between the classes of Saudi society in a report stating that: With the growing disappointment of the Saudi people, the social contract between Saudi rulers and citizens has become more disintegrated.
Adding that, the increasing popular discontent has prompted Saudi policymakers to search for new strategies that would enable them to provide more opportunities for their people.
Gap Policies
The policies adopted by the Saudi regime do not create a future as much as they create a wide gap between citizens, as it relies on the strategy of building modern cities, which would have been a positive step it was being implemented in parallel with the construction and renewal of existing cities and villages, but the reality of citizens -according to local newspapers of the Kingdom- says: Complaints of neglect have increased, as many areas no longer have the necessary services anymore, as the entire budget is directed to the new cities of bin Salman, in which the Saudi citizen has no place.
With the expansion of the strategy of the new cities, the Saudi citizen is left with limited options, most notably migrating to cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, etc. in order to obtain services that guarantee him a stable life, leaving behind the villages which turn into ruins over time, however, migration is not that simple for people who have spent all their lives in different communities and built their future there to start all over in a new place with severe competition.
The discontent among the Saudi people due to MBS’s social and political policies, which also created gaps in opportunities granted to all segments of the people, will hinder the plans of any development projects, as social discontent is a major crisis facing transitioning countries.
The new cities have a positive impact on the success of economies and granting citizens higher living conditions provided that this is in accordance with well-thought-out economic policies for the public good, but if it was unstudied carefully it could lead to the destruction of the society.
