Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Vision 2030 ‘helped Saudi manage Covid impact’

Vision 2030 ‘helped Saudi manage Covid impact’

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 gave the Kingdom the resilience it needed to navigate through the Covid-19 global pandemic, according to insights given by two top officials.
Dr. Munir Eldesouki, Assistant Minister and Daniah Orkoubi, Chief Economist, at the Kingdom’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, were speaking in recent interviews with Oxford Business Group’s online broadcasting channel, Global Platform.

Digitally enabled through more than a dozen national transformation programs, Vision 2030 allowed the Kingdom to structure and drive a swift response to the pandemic, aimed at curbing its spread and reducing the impact on the economy.

Dr. Eldesouki noted the knock-on effects of the progress made in the Kingdom’s digital drive, which included increasing network capacity by over 30% well before lockdown.

“This was to ensure that citizens and residents could continue to enjoy their digital tools and services without any interruption,” Dr. Eldesouki noted. “It also allowed for continuous access to more than 3500 e-government services and 94% of government agencies were working remotely.”

To mitigate the socio-economic pressure of the pandemic on businesses and citizens, Orkboubi said the government launched a SR220 billion stimulus package, which included a special financing scheme, a lending programme and deferred payment programme to financial guarantees for small to medium-sized enterprises and exemption.

More important, Orkoubi highlighted, was how the government adapted, redefined, and relaxed some regulations to encourage businesses to adopt virtual workplace practices.

“In fact, the labour market is undergoing a major transformation which is paving the way to the introduction of job globalisation in the global workplace,” she said.

Dr.Eldesouki and Orkoubi underlined the effect of several global trends prompted by the pandemic, ranging from a decline in global trade and greater state intervention as a means of rescuing economies, to the acceleration of technology adoption, especially contactless economic systems.

“The pandemic actually acted as a natural catalyst for digital transformation and turned it into a pressing necessity rather than a long-term aspiration,” Dr. Eldesouki told OBG.

Orkoubi said there were also signs that key adjustments made in Saudi Arabia during the pandemic, such as remote working and online shopping, were expected to become part of the “new norm.”

“Clearly many of the changes developed in response to the pandemic in the areas of work, health, education and entertainment are here to stay,” she said.

Marc-André de Blois, OBG’s Director of PR and Video Content, said reforms and initiatives introduced under Vision 2030 before the arrival of Covid-19 had enabled Saudi Arabia to take quick and effective action to contain the virus and mitigate its impact.

“While the competitive cost of oil production and abundant reserves will undoubtedly help to drive a swift recovery, our interviews show that Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify its economy and put digital transformation at the heart of new growth are not only well on track, but will take on added importance as the world emerges from lockdown,” he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×