What Was Vision 2030? Reform from Above in Saudi Arabia

The Program for Middle East Studies & the Department of Political Science

invite you to a talk:

What Was Vision 2030? Reform from Above in Saudi Arabia

Andrew Leber

Tulane University

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

12:30 pm to 1:45 pm

Location: Ten Hoor Hall 114

This year marks ten years since the start of Saudi Arabia's ambitious "Vision 2030" reform project, which sought to reduce the Saudi economy's dependence on oil while also removing longstanding social restrictions on gender mixing and public entertainment. Championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, now the Kingdom's de facto ruler, the Vision has transformed many aspects of the Kingdom yet is running out of steam in the face of geopolitical headwinds. At the same time, economic and social openings have been accompanied by stark repression of dissenting views. This talk, based on Dr. Leber’s book project on Saudi policymaking, will explain the political calculations that motivated the reforms, discuss the limits of top-down policy changes in authoritarianism, and how the Iran War is challenging the Arab Gulf monarchies' economic agendas.

Andrew Leber is an assistant professor in Tulane University’s Department of Political Science and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Studies Program. He is also a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His research and teaching focuses on the domestic politics and international relations of the MENA region, with a particular focus on the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His publications include research articles in Politics & Society, Democratization, and the British Journal of Middle East Studies, and commentary in outlets such as the Washington