Make Saudi Arabia great again

OPINION:

Former President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman share the same vision: To make their respective countries great again.

The difference between President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is in their approach to statecraft: Saudi Arabia’s reform-minded leader employs enlightened religiosity in the service of nation-building. Indeed, Prince Mohammed has more in common with America’s founding fathers, who put a deep faith in God at the center of their vision to build “the shining city on the hill.”  America should applaud Prince Mohammed bin Salman for building the new Saudi Arabia as a “shining city on the hill” in the turbulent Middle East.

As home to the two holiest sites in the Muslim world and the largest petroleum reserves, Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most consequential countries. This, by default, makes its Crown Prince a leader of significant importance for global stability. The good news for America and the free world is that Prince Mohammed runs the affairs of Saudi Arabia with a clear motto: True and enlightened Islam in the service of nation-building. Indeed, his Vision 2030 calls for a complete overhaul of Saudi Arabia’s political, economic, educational and cultural transformation.

Not surprisingly, the explanation for Prince Mohammed’s amazing achievement in increasing Saudi Arabia’s GDP from $700 billion in 2017 (when he was appointed Crown Prince) to over $1.1 trillion today lies in a firm belief that as an enlightened leader, he is undertaking God’s wishes to improve the socio-economic conditions of his fellow citizens.

Take the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, a main driver for the Saudi economy and one of the five pillars of Islam that all Muslims with the means must undertake at least once in their lives. This year, more than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Hajj, including more than 1.6 million from 22 countries.

As the shadow of war in the region between Israel and Iran’s proxy Hamas hovered over this year’s Hajj, the success of making a spiritual journey and not a political one was made harder.  Indeed, despite efforts by the Iranian regime’s agents to disrupt the Hajj, Saudi authorities did not allow the politicization of this spiritual event. This is a very important point because it highlights Prince Mohammed’s firm commitment to Islam, which is grounded in spiritual awakening and understanding. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia should be applauded for preserving the spiritual integrity of this Muslim rite of passage.

In fact, because the pilgrimage to Mecca plays such an important role in both the economic and spiritual life of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has called those who make the pilgrimage to Mecca “God’s guests.”  Prince Mohammad has enjoined the Saudi Arabian government to take full responsibility for the health of all pilgrims during Hajj, providing them with free healthcare, regardless of their travel insurance. For example, in 2022, 97,000 pilgrims received medical attention, including the performance of 10 open-heart surgeries. Not surprisingly, the Crown Prince has encouraged Mecca school children to assist wheelchair pilgrims and to guide non-Arabic-speaking visitors to holy sites.

Beyond the Hajji, the economic miracle of Saudi Arabia’s renaissance under Crown Prince Mohammed is driven by his faith in Saudi women. For Prince Mohammed, women are equal to men in the eyes of God. Hence, there is a massive jump in women being encouraged to enter the workforce and contribute to Saudi Arabia’s economic growth. Indeed, from the perspective of Prince Mohammed, Muslim men and women are one another’s protectors. Not surprisingly, the labor force participation of women has been on the rise since Prince Mohammed took power and stands at 40% today.

Mohammed bin Salman’s foreign policy is also driven by God’s commandment to make peace. In fact, Prince Mohammed is ready to normalize relations with Israel, which would constitute one of the most important geopolitical events of the 21st century. This move has at its core a religious duty that the Crown Prince sees for himself as a servant of God—to make peace and bring about prosperity not just for Saudis but for the whole region.

When Prince Mohammed inaugurated “EHSAN,” which means “to do beautiful things,” to encourage the non-profit sector to contribute at least 10% to Saudi GDP, his motivation was grounded in his belief that God has enjoined us to help those less fortunate. This, of course, is in sharp contrast to the “philanthropy” we see in America from left-leaning billionaires whose agenda does not include the Almighty. Today, thanks to Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia is a global leader in charitable giving.

Last but not least, the Saudi Crown Prince’s renewable energy policy—both global and domestic—is predicated on the premise that God has entrusted the earth to his followers, and therefore, we have an obligation, indeed a spiritual and religious obligation, to protect it.

When an American president is sworn into office, the last words when taking the oath is “so help me God.” For Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, God plays an integral role in his mission to make Saudi Arabia great again.

• Rob Sobhani, Ph.D. is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University