Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has announced several new social reforms. Many of these reforms have been pursued and carried forward by Saudi Prince, Mohammed bin Salman,
Prince Salman To diversify its oil-dependent economy and make its country more modern, liberal and business-friendly, Saudi Arabia has opened up to tourists and foreign investment.
Prince Salman, who has been named heir to the Saudi throne, has overseen sweeping social changes, including allowing women to drive and work in the public sector, lifting a decades-long ban on cinemas and allowing women to travel alone.
These changes have come with action on dissent and freedom of expression.
From greeting foreign leaders to presiding over regional summits, the Crown Prince is leading the charge, taking over the reins from his aging father, King Salman.
Here’s how Prince Mohammed bin Salman is making a difference in Saudi Arabia:
women allowed to drive
In a historic move, on 26 September 2017, the Saudi government issued a decree recognizing women’s right to drive in keeping with the Shariat. In June 2018, Saudi women took to the street for the first time in 30 years. Until then, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world where women were prohibited from driving a motor vehicle.
removal of ban on cinemas
In 2017, Saudi Arabia lifted a decades-long ban on cinemas, a move that was in line with Prince Salman’s pledge to return the ultra-conservative kingdom to “open, moderate Islam” and destroy extremist ideologies .
The revived cinemas represented a paradigm shift in the state, which has been promoting entertainment as part of a broader reform plan for the post-oil era, despite opposition from conservatives who have long considered movie theaters to be pornographic and Said to be a sinner.
change guardianship law
Saudi Arabia officially introduced a legal amendment allowing an adult woman to live and travel alone without the permission of a “male guardian”. This historic move gave single, divorced or widowed women the right to live independently in separate housing.
Under the new amendment, if a woman is sentenced to prison, she will not be handed over to her guardian after completing her term.
Prior to the abolishment of the kingdom’s guardianship system, women in Saudi Arabia were treated as legal minors, requiring the permission of a male relative for many important decisions such as working, obtaining family records and applying for a passport. There was
tourist visa offer
In 2019, for the first time in its history, Saudi Arabia opened its doors to tourists by issuing electronic visas to visitors from 49 countries. Visitors can now obtain a multiple-entry visa valid for one year that will allow them to stay in the country for up to 90 days.
Previously, Saudi Arabia only issued visitor visas for religious pilgrimage and business visas.
Kick-starting tourism is one of the centerpieces of Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform program to prepare the largest Arab economy for the post-oil era. The government had said that by 2030 it aims to reach 100 million visitors annually by both domestic and foreign tourists. The tourism sector is also expected to generate one million tourism jobs.
Relaxation of restrictions on entertainment
In 2017, Saudi Arabia allowed restaurants and cafes to play live music and hold stand-up comedy shows. Earlier, religious police took to the streets to punish restaurants playing music.
The “Rave in the Desert” music festival was one of the first events in Saudi Arabia where men and women were allowed to dance publicly and mingle openly. More than 180,000 people attended the opening night of the concert, pushing boundaries as the state changes.
Tablighi Jamaat banned
Saudi Arabia shocked the Islamic world by banning the Tablighi Jamaat, the Islamist conversion movement, calling it “one of the gates of terrorism”.
With the ban, the group will face a slow death in many parts of the world as Saudi charities have been the main source of funding for the movement that was launched in India to “purify” Islam.
While no major progress has been made in normalizing relations with Israel-Saudi Arabia, Prince Salman seemed more open to Israel than his father, allowing his commercial aircraft to pass through Saudi airspace.
At home, Prince Salman’s efforts to bring reforms to reduce reliance on oil while dealing with Saudi Arabia’s deeply conservative and long-closed society are evident. Needless to say, there are signs of change.
(with agency input)
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