Reinventing the Kingdom … how Saudi Arabia’s economy is transforming from ancient sands to advanced technologies … from oil dependancy to diversified, digital businesses
September 25, 2025
For more than two decades, I have had the privilege of working with many of Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious organisations — from STC, where my collaboration began twenty years ago, to companies like Almarai, Hungerstation and Savola. There’s also others like Alturki, Emdad and Mobily, and transforming government organisations like the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture, and the evolving urban vision of new cities like KAEC.
Walking along the shoreline of the Red Sea in Jeddah, I watch families playing in the setting sun, couples walking for fitness, ice-cream kiosks serving incredible flavours, and cries of laughter come from the jet skis in the ocean. Nearby on the waterfront road, they are preparing for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and indoors there’s the E-Sports World Cup. And global music acts like Jennifer Lopez and Travis Scott play to huge youthful crowds.
Across industries and generations, the story has been remarkably consistent: a nation determined to leap into the future while honouring its past; companies eager to redefine their purpose, their business models and their human capabilities; leaders pushing themselves and their people to climb the next summit, not because they have to, but because they believe the future of the Kingdom demands it.
How Vision 2030 reframed possibilities
The launch of Vision 2030 was not simply a national strategy. It was a mindset shift, a transformation of imagination as much as economics. It called on organisations to rethink who they were, what they stood for, and what role they could play in a diversified, globally connected economy. It set a new tone: the future was not something to wait for, but something to shape.
Vision 2030 articulated three broad ambitions — a thriving economy, a vibrant society, and an ambitious nation. Yet for businesses, its deeper message was about reinvention. It encouraged companies to see themselves not as oil-adjacent dependants, but as architects of a new economic landscape powered by knowledge, creativity, tourism, culture, and technology. It legitimised the idea that a Saudi company could be world-class, innovative, culturally influential, and globally admired. It created a licence for leaders to rethink everything: their purpose, their processes, their investments, their partnerships, and the experiences they deliver to customers and communities.
Most importantly, Vision 2030 elevated the role of human talent. It recognised that the greatest resource of the future would not be hydrocarbons, infrastructure or capital, but imagination — the ability of people to envision new possibilities and bring them to life.
A story of transformation
The transformation journey of Saudi organisations has not been uniform. Each sector, each company, and each institution has started from its own place and set its own pace. Yet the underlying pattern is clear: a shift from incremental improvement to strategic reinvention.
STC, for example, began as a traditional telecoms operator when we first worked together back in 2005. Today it is a digital powerhouse, a catalyst of infrastructure modernisation, a pioneer of platforms and services, and a talent engine attracting some of the most ambitious young Saudis. STC’s evolution mirrors the country’s trajectory — from utility mindset to innovation mindset; from national provider to regional challenger; from infrastructure to imagination.
Mobily, too, has experienced waves of reinvention — from rapid expansion to operational discipline, and now towards data-centric, experience-driven value creation. When we first met in 2010, I was astounded by its vision not just to be a communication platform, but the nation’s educator. Now part of e&, its focus on digital services, customer experience, and smart partnerships reflects a broader shift in Saudi business: technology is no longer the back-office engine; it is the front-line enabler of new business models.
Almarai and Savola represent another dimension of transformation: scale, quality and brand trust. These companies have long been pillars of the Kingdom’s food and consumer goods economy, yet Vision 2030 has pushed them to diversify, digitalise supply chains, elevate sustainability, and expand regionally. Their transformation is not simply about becoming more efficient, but about becoming more purposeful — feeding a growing region sustainably, innovating in categories shaped by demographic and cultural shifts, and building brands that resonate with both local heritage and global expectations.
At the other end of the spectrum is Hungerstation — a digital-native company that captured the Kingdom’s energy around entrepreneurship, convenience and lifestyle innovation. It reflects Saudi Arabia’s rising youth, its appetite for technology-driven experiences, and its growing position as an entrepreneurial hub for the Middle East. Hungerstation’s rapid growth illustrates how new entrants — agile, customer-obsessed, unburdened by legacy — are expanding the boundaries of what a Saudi company can be.
KAEC, meanwhile, represents transformation at an urban scale. It embodies the ambition to create globally connected cities that attract investment, talent and innovation; places where logistics, tourism, technology, education and creativity intersect. KAEC’s journey has not been linear, but its potential remains enormous — a living laboratory for new models of sustainable, integrated urban development that support the national goals of diversification and global connection.
On the governmental side, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Culture are rewriting the playbook for public-sector transformation. The Ministry of Health is moving from a system defined by infrastructure and hospitals to a model focused on outcomes, prevention, digital health, and patient experience. Its mission is no longer simply to treat illness, but to improve wellbeing — a profound shift requiring new skills, data systems, partnerships and incentives.
The Ministry of Culture represents an equally striking transformation. For decades, culture in Saudi Arabia was seen as something to preserve quietly. Today it is an engine of identity, diplomacy, tourism and creativity. Cultural initiatives — from museums and festivals to film, fashion and food — are not only enriching society but also creating industries that employ thousands, attract global collaboration, and celebrate Saudi heritage on the world stage. This is transformation not just of policy, but of mindset: culture is no longer a backdrop, but a driver of national competitiveness and soft power.
Across these organisations — large incumbents, digital natives, new cities, ministries — the story is one of ambition meeting capability, imagination meeting execution. It is a story of transformation becoming not a project or programme, but a way of operating, thinking and leading.
What drives business transformation in KSA?
Saudi Arabia’s transformation is unique in scale and speed, but the underlying drivers echo global patterns: technology convergence, demographic change, geopolitical shifts, and the need for more sustainable, resilient models. Yet the Kingdom’s specific context adds additional layers of complexity — and opportunity.
At its core, business transformation in Saudi Arabia is driven by a number of connected forces:
- A national ambition larger than any individual organisation. Vision 2030 provides a north star that aligns sectors, investors, regulators and citizens. Companies are not transforming in isolation; they are contributing to a collective movement with shared expectations.
- A youthful, increasingly skilled talent pool. With median ages around 30, Saudis bring energy, digital fluency, and aspirations for meaningful work. They want to contribute, innovate, and be part of something that matters.
- Cultural confidence and global openness. The Kingdom is discovering — and projecting — its cultural identity in new ways. For businesses, this creates opportunities to blend tradition and modernity, local relevance and global standards.
- A shift from government-led to market-driven growth. Public-sector reform is enabling sectors like health, culture, tourism, logistics, energy and entertainment to evolve from cost centres to economic platforms.
- The rise of digital and data ecosystems. AI, cloud computing, 5G, fintech, platforms and automation are enabling Saudi companies to leapfrog legacy constraints and build next-generation operating models.
- International collaboration. Partnerships with global companies, universities, investors and institutions are accelerating capability-building, technology transfer and knowledge exchange.
These forces combine to create a rare moment in history: a national transformation that is both top-down and bottom-up, strategic and cultural, economic and human.
How organisations transform: Lessons from journey
Transformation is never simple. It requires more than a strategy deck or a new organisational chart. In Saudi Arabia, as elsewhere, the companies that succeed in transformation focus on a few foundational elements.
1. Start with purpose and vision
Every transformation begins with a compelling reason to change. In Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030 provides a national purpose, but each company must translate it into its own story: why it exists, who it serves, what value it creates, and what future it wants to shape.
When working with STC or Savola, a clear purpose became the anchor for innovation and organisational change.
A purpose rooted in more than business or financial success, but in heritage and values — feeding families, connecting people, enabling progress — becomes even more powerful when extended into future aspirations.
2. Build leadership that inspires confidence and courage
Transformation demands leaders who can balance ambition with humility, tradition with reinvention, and long-term vision with short-term delivery. In Saudi Arabia, leadership maturity has evolved rapidly. Many organisations once led by operational experts are now led by strategic thinkers who embrace experimentation, empower teams, and drive cultural change.
Great Saudi leaders share a few traits: they listen deeply, act decisively, embrace technology, invest in people, and frame change as an opportunity rather than a threat.
3. Create a culture of continuous innovation
Sustainable transformation requires innovation to be woven into everyday behaviours, not confined to labs or special projects. Companies like Hungerstation and Mobily thrive because they iterate quickly, listen to customers, and experiment boldly. Larger companies such as Almarai or Savola must create innovation systems that link strategy with experimentation, empowering teams to test ideas, learn rapidly and scale what works.
4. Adopt new business and operating models
Transformation demands not just doing new things, but doing them in new ways. This involves rethinking the entire value chain: how products are designed, how services are delivered, how experiences are shaped, how partners are integrated, and how value is monetised.
Saudi organisations are embracing platform models, digital twins, predictive analytics, ecosystem partnerships, new revenue streams, and more resilient, data-driven processes. Ministries are learning to operate like service organisations; private companies are learning to operate like agile digital businesses.
5. Invest in people, skills and talent pathways
Transformation is fundamentally human. It requires training, development, new career paths, new mindsets, and inclusive cultures where young talent is trusted to lead. The Saudi workforce is unique: ambitious, educated, globally aware, and motivated by purpose. Companies that invest in their people — through digital training, leadership programmes, learning academies, and cross-functional opportunities — will shape the Kingdom’s next competitive advantage.
6. Leverage technology as an enabler, not a strategy
Technology is essential — AI, automation, cloud, connectivity, data, platforms. But technology is a means, not an end. The real challenge is adopting technology in ways that improve experiences, unlock efficiency, enable new models, and elevate decision-making. The Ministry of Health’s shift towards digital health or Emdad’s platform-based approach illustrates this shift: technology enables smarter, more connected ecosystems that create more value.
7. Build the energy, resilience and governance for the long journey
Transformation is not linear. It is a journey marked by moments of acceleration and moments of consolidation. It requires governance systems that maintain momentum, learning loops that adapt to feedback, and resilience to navigate uncertainty. Successful Saudi organisations balance aspiration with discipline: they set bold goals, measure progress rigorously, invest consistently, and celebrate milestones along the way.
The role of heritage and identity
One of the most striking aspects of Saudi Arabia’s transformation is the interplay between future ambition and cultural heritage. Saudi companies are not trying to replicate Silicon Valley or European business models. They are crafting a model rooted in their own identity — a blend of modernity, tradition, hospitality, faith, creativity and community.
The Ministry of Culture exemplifies this. Its cultural renaissance — from film and literature to archaeology, design and music — creates not just economic opportunity, but social cohesion and pride. For businesses, this resurgence provides a wellspring of brand meaning, customer insight and creative inspiration.
Tourism and entertainment initiatives — from AlUla to Diriyah, from Red Sea to Riyadh Season — reinforce this connection. They are not simply commercial projects; they are expressions of history and imagination. They invite the world to see a Saudi Arabia that is dynamic, modern and culturally rich.
This is where transformation becomes more than economic. It becomes civilisational — a reawakening of heritage as a force for progress. For companies, the lesson is clear: the future is created not by abandoning the past, but by reinterpreting it for new contexts and new generations.
Saudi Arabia’s next transformation horizon
As the Kingdom moves deeper into the next decade, the transformation agenda is evolving. There are challenges, but also huge opportunities. Business transformation positively encourages cultural transformation, and success encourages progress.
The early wave focused on infrastructure, regulation, capability building, and strategy. The next wave will focus on integration, scale, and human capital. Some key themes will define this next horizon:
- From digital to intelligent. AI will underpin decision-making, operations, personalisation and prediction across sectors.
- From sector transformation to ecosystem orchestration. Tourism, culture, logistics, energy, finance, health and retail will converge through platforms and partnerships.
- From global benchmarking to global leadership. Saudi companies will increasingly define — not follow — global best practice in areas such as entertainment, sustainability, digital services and hospitality.
- From talent development to talent magnetism. The Kingdom will attract global talent while continuing to upskill nationals at scale.
- From economic diversification to value creation. The measure of success will shift from project launches to sustainable profitability, innovation, and societal impact.
Beyond 2030: A nation becoming what it imagines
Business transformation in Saudi Arabia is not just about economic modernisation. It is about becoming a nation that fully expresses its potential — creative, connected, confident, entrepreneurial and globally relevant.
The organisations I have been privileged to work with over the years are living proof of what is possible when leadership, talent, vision and imagination converge. Their journeys are not complete, but they are remarkable.
Saudi Arabia’s transformation is one of the most ambitious national projects of the twenty-first century. It demands courage, discipline, innovation and resilience. But above all, it demands a belief that the future is not inherited; it is created.
And in that sense, the Kingdom is already succeeding — not because it has reached its destination, but because it has become a nation determined to keep transforming, keep learning, keep imagining, and keep shaping the future it seeks.
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