Saudi Arabia's Quest for a New Identity

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n recent years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has embarked on a new identity-building process. This transformation, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at its center, is not limited to the social dimension and is directly related to domestic/foreign policy and the economy. This multidimensional process of searching for a new identity and the changes that are taking place encompass reforms in the country’s political, economic, and social spheres, and aim to move Saudi society in a more open, dynamic, and contemporary direction.

The foundation of this identity-building process is the “Vision 2030” announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016. This vision focuses on transforming the traditional profile of Saudi Arabia, a rentier state that derives its wealth and revenues from natural resources such as oil, into a modern one. “Vision 2030” aims to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil, diversify economic inputs with non-oil resources, build new cities and promote tourism, and modernize social life in ways that challenge the kingdom’s dominant religious and cultural codes.

Economic dimension

Saudi Arabia has undergone significant changes in the economic sphere, and these changes are innovative and directly related to efforts to reshape the country’s identity. The efforts take place within the framework of the comprehensive reform program called “Vision 2030.” This vision is a far-reaching goal that focuses on objectives such as diversifying the Saudi economy, strengthening the private sector, ensuring sustainability, and implementing social change and transformation.

One of the most notable steps taken in the context of economic transformation is the Kingdom’s efforts to reduce its dependence on oil and diversify the economy. Saudi Arabia aims to create a strong and sustainable economy outside the energy sector. In order to achieve this goal, efforts are being made to strengthen the country’s economic base through measures such as investing in renewable energy projects and encouraging the private sector. For example, the Kingdom has increased its investment in green energy projects, particularly solar and wind power. Similarly, having decided to reduce oil production, Saudi Arabia has increased its investment in natural gas. Many natural gas fields have been developed, including Hasbah-Arabiyah conventional gas field, and Karan, and new gas production facilities have been built, such as al-Fadili and Abu Hadriyah.

Another step in the economic context of Saudi Arabia’s search for a new identity is to invest in modern, non-traditional areas. By investing in sports teams, electric cars, tourism, films, and TV series through the $600 billion Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia is attempting to transform an economic system based solely on oil revenues. In addition, initiatives are being taken to increase foreign investment, focus more on Asian and African markets, and allow Saudi citizens to spend their money within the Kingdom. For example, the construction of new, modern cities such as NEOM and the Line is designed to encourage Saudi tourists to spend in Saudi Arabia and to make the Kingdom attractive to foreign tourists.

Similarly, by hosting world-famous international sporting events, attracting famous footballers to Saudi teams, and increasing investment in the entertainment sector, the aim is to keep spending within the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia’s new moves in the economy are directly related to the Kingdom’s search for a new identity, and are evident in the sweeping changes being made under “Vision 2030.” While these changes are in line with the country’s goals of economic diversification, social change, and becoming a more effective actor in the international arena, they also have significant implications for Saudi Arabia’s future role.

Social dimension

Saudi Arabia’s search and construction of a new identity have an impact on the social sphere as well. The influence of religious authority and the ulama in social life is limited. For example, since 2016, the powers of the morality police in Saudi Arabia, charged with shaping social life according to Islam, have been curtailed and some reform steps have been taken in the religious field. In the new identity of the 4th modern Saudi Arabia built by Crown Prince bin Salman, the role of religion is quite limited: instead of the Saudi Arabia that for years was identified with Wahhabism and Salafism, the administration is promoting a more modern, Western-integrated understanding of religion that emphasizes tolerance.

Accordingly, the aim has been to increase religious freedom in the country while promoting a more tolerant interpretation of Islam. Efforts are being made to promote a more open-minded understanding of religion among the country’s young population. This social change is clearly evident in the steps taken towards women’s rights; thus, for instance, the unwritten custom that prevented women from driving has been abolished and women have become more active in many sports, particularly cricket. At the same time, women have been given the opportunity and encouraged to take part in activities that are products of modern life, such as attending football matches, and going to the cinema and theatre.

Reforms such as the ones discussed above alongside giving women greater opportunities in business have led to significant changes in Saudi society and identity. Such steps were the Kingdom’s way of ensuring greater participation of women in social and economic life. The search for a new identity in Saudi Arabia is also manifesting itself in the direction of gender equality and encouraging the participation of the young population in the workforce. The reforms introduced to increase women’s participation in the workforce and to bring about changes in social norms are making a significant contribution to the country’s social transformation. Educational reforms aimed at maximizing the potential of the young population are also playing an important role in building Saudi Arabia’s new identity.

Political dimension

In the political sphere, Saudi Arabia has embarked on a new identity-building process in its regional and international relations with the search for autonomy in foreign policy and the processes of rapprochement with actors outside the traditional alliance structures being the most prominent developments. Problems in relations with Western actors such as the United States, Britain, and France have prompted Saudi Arabia to reshape its foreign policy identity. The Riyadh government has deepened its cooperation with non-Western alliance structures without severing relations with Western actors. For example, in 2024, Saudi Arabia officially became a member of the BRICS organization, which includes actors challenging Western hegemony such as China and Russia.

Second, Saudi Arabia, which has pursued an aggressive foreign policy since the Arab revolutions, has focused its foreign policy moves more on dialogue and cooperation since 2020. The embargo on Qatar, known as the “Gulf crisis,” was lifted in 2021, and relations with Turkey, Iran, and Syria were normalized. The Kingdom’s policy towards Yemen, where a war has been raging since 2015, has also changed radically. Having launched a negotiation process with the Houthis, Saudi Arabia aims to contribute to reducing the conflict and ensuring regional stability through the Presidential Council it established in 2022.

Foreign policy therefore plays an important role in the political context of Saudi Arabia’s new identity construction. The country is attempting to adopt a more constructive and conciliatory foreign policy in order to eliminate the criticism it has faced from Western actors. However, the Saudi process of identity construction has also been subject to criticism. Allegations of human rights violations in Yemen between 2015 and 2022, restrictions on freedoms such as the Ritz-Carlton hotel and the Khashoggi example, and harsh reactions to dissidents who criticize the kingdom, have put Saudi Arabia under scrutiny as it searches for its new identity.

The Kingdom’s oppressive modernization process and the search for a new identity have been interpreted as the construction of Saudi Arabian nationalism. Saudi Arabia’s search for a new identity has given rise to a new type of Saudi nationalism that has strengthened the power of the al-Saud family and the Crown Prince. Meanwhile, the process of Saudi Arabia’s new identity construction is bringing about significant economic, social, and political changes in the country, and attracting national and international attention. Overall, the process is seen as an important phase that will determine the country’s future role and leadership approach.