Saudi Arabia sets itself up for a fall with ambitious economic reform plan

After being heavily trailed in interviews in The Economist and Bloomberg (GSN 1,008/1), Deputy Crown Prince, secretary-general of the Royal Court, second deputy prime minister and defence minister Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz (MBS) unveiled his long-term plan for the Saudi economy on 25 April, accompanied by some typically forthright language in media interviews.Released by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA), which MBS chairs, the Vision 2030 blueprint mixes broad aims with more than 30 specific targets, from the size of the non-oil economy to the proportion of Saudis who take regular exercise.