Assessment of Sustainable Development Goals in Saudi Arabia

The present paper provides an overview of sustainable development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as captured by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has as its biggest goal a series of transformative steps to shift countries towards a sustainable and resilient path. The 17 SDGs are part of the universal Agenda building on the Millennium Development Goals and aiming to complete those that were not achieved. This includes the strengthening of human rights, gender equality and the economic, social and environmental areas of each country. The 2030 Agenda is also based on five pillars: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership, which encompasses the 17 SDGs and attends to equality, justice and participation both internally and in cooperation with other countries around the world.

The KSA has implemented several policies to achieve the objectives established in the 2030 Agenda, most notably as established under the Vision 2030. The Vision has been built on the guidelines of the 2030 Agenda, adapted to the national reality of the Kingdom. KSA’s Vision 2030 includes a series of objectives and programs that overlap with the UN Agenda under all five pillars and involve interlinkages between all SDGs. The Vision 2030 has identified 12 programs to achieve the Kingdom’s goals and to position KSA as a welcoming economy for investors, workers and visitors.

The implementation of the Vision 2030 is ongoing and already shows progress in several indicators, yet by no means completed. Several bottlenecks remain, which pose challenges for the Kingdom. This document highlights those areas where the KSA is on path to achieve its goals and those where more profound interventions are required.