The Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, said in a TV interview broadcast on Tuesday evening that Vision 2030 will be implemented with specific programs in three stages: 2020, 2025, 2030.
According to the powerful Prince, Saudi Arabia will focus on addressing the issues relating to housing, unemployment, recreation, the development of the private sector and fighting corruption.
No person – whatever may be his position – will be spared in our fight against corruption.
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He added that documents circulated on social media will not be taken into consideration.
The Deputy Crown Prince said that the implementation of the new housing program for Saudi citizens will start in the third quarter of this year for a period of 66 months.
He said one million housing units will be allotted on simple installments through the Real Estate Development Fund. There will be three types of allotments: Free allotments, through subsidy from the Fund, and through government support.
Some 50% of the Saudi Public Investment Fund will be channelized to the local market, especially housing.
Full TV interview of Saudi Deputy Crown Prince with Al Arabiya on 2 May 2017. (Source: YouTube)
“We try to support the widest possible segments of society,” he said.
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Austerity measures will be revived if the Kingdom passes through difficult economic conditions.
Non-oil sector
The Deputy Crown Prince said that non-oil related income doubled in the past two years.
He added that Saudi kept economic indicators high despite the drop in oil prices and that there has been a “higher than expected increase” in non-oil revenues in the first quarter of 2017.
Iran
He ruled out any dialogue with Iran, a country he said was busy plotting to control the Muslim world.
Iran is plotting to control the Muslim world.
The Deputy Crown Prince said in the TV interview that the Kingdom could crush Iran-aligned fighters in Yemen.
Asked if Saudi Arabia was ready to open a direct dialogue with Tehran, Prince Muhammad said it was impossible to talk with a power that was planning for the return of the Imam Mahdi.
“How do you have a dialogue with this (Iran)?” he said.
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“Its (Iran’s) logic is that the Imam Mahdi will come and they must prepare the fertile environment for the arrival of the awaited Mahdi and they must control the Muslim world.”
Yemen
On Houthi rebels and the militias allied to the ousted president Ali Abdallah Saleh, the Deputy Crown Prince said, “We can uproot the Houthis and Saleh in a matter of days.”
Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad tackled varied topics in the interview.
The interview focused on many issues particularly the one concerning the 10 million citizens registered in Saudi Arabia’s electronic portal ‘Saudi Citizen’.
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He said that the Saudi authorities are working toward benefiting the largest possible number of registered citizens from this initiative.
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is working to destabilize relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Prince Muhammad spoke on several important issues concerning Saudi, Gulf and Arab citizens, in particular Saudi Vision 2030 and other local and regional issues.
