Our Legacy to Young Saudis

Saudi Arabia is entering a new era of opportunity and progress, a unique situation globally. Giga projects under construction by The Red Sea Development Company projects are some of the most exciting futuristic developments in the world today. The economic diversification being delivered by Vision 2030 is a gateway for the country and its citizens to grasp life in ways that would have been more challenging only a couple of years ago.

Sustainable, scalable, innovative, and high-tech, these transformational projects aim to create new opportunities, especially for young Saudis. With more than 17 million young people below 25 and nearly two-thirds of the population below 30, the Kingdom’s new development framework has upended conventional norms, allowing the Saudi people to dream of a new country and a new future. But it is not about dreaming anymore. I invite everyone to wake up to this promising reality. In Saudi Arabia today, words mean action.

Vision 2030 challenges national and international perceptions of what Saudi Arabia can do, how far socio-economic changes can go, and how many will join. In a country with such young demographics, offering exciting new opportunities for national and personal development is an unmatched strategy and gaining momentum by the day. The social dimension is the key to success. We never lose sight of the fact that everything we do is eventually designed and purposed to improve the lives of current and future Saudis. Our most valuable legacy will be how we touch people’s lives, and how many new doors of opportunity we can open.

Recent research[1] shows the current developments are strongly supported by those whose lives will be more affected, the Saudi youth. Over 89% of young Saudis believe the country is moving in the right direction. The same percentage is satisfied with their education level and preparedness for technology-oriented jobs in their home country, feeding the overall optimism towards their future. Notably, over 70% said they are confident they will lead a better life than their parents did. A life that might very well be connected to tourism, as up to 91% indicated an interest in pursuing a career in our industry[2] .

I always insist on the relevance and projection of our company’s pioneering approach to development. Regenerative tourism aims to not only conserve and protect the environment but enhance it. We build projects with an innocuous impact that will leave the place better than we found it. Beyond natural environments, we use the full power of tourism’s transformational potential to impact the social dimension of sustainability and regeneration positively. When we say our projects are seeds that make the environment thrive, it also applies to the social dimension of the economy, facilitating an ever-evolving diversification of the workforce.

The overarching nature of the tourist industry allows us to lead innovative initiatives in multiple industries. We take advantage of this by unifying criteria and guidelines in such diverse areas as nature-friendly development, low-impact construction, renewable energy, clean transportation, sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, natural habitats and wildlife management, education, hospitality, engineering, finance, project management, or research and development. In all cases, highly relevant economic sectors today that will continue to grow. But, perhaps even more importantly, tourism is also an accelerator for new industries. We are leading the development of economic activities that will become strategic in the near future, placing Saudi Arabia and its workforce in a position of substantial competitive advantage.

Sectors like nature-based solutions for development, nature- and technology-based strategies for carbon sequestration, and climate change adaptation and mitigation are becoming crucial growth vectors in the global arena. We contribute to creating an economic context where “business as usual” approaches become quickly obsolete. This is the perfect environment for young people with new knowledge to step in and lead the way forward. In a country where 55% of graduates are women, this also represents an instrumental driver for their professional and personal development.

Every day, we ensure that our endeavours are impactful tools to facilitate an actual know-how transfer from our company to the Saudi education and professional spheres. We partner with key Saudi and international universities providing scholarships and graduate programs to facilitate the integration of young talent into our fabric. While more than half of TRSDC employees are Saudis, we have awarded more than 70% of our contract value to Saudi companies across The Red Sea Project and AMAALA. We will continue increasing these numbers within our company’s activities and the progress of our projects, hopefully influencing the rest of the Saudi economy. It is a sort of Saudization of our legacy to ensure we meet the hopeful expectations of young Saudis. A pathway towards a fulfilling and encouraging future in which you know your dreams can come true.

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[1] Saudi Report 2021 available at https://campaignme.com/saudi-report-2021-how-do-saudi-youth-see-their-future-by-asdaa-bcws-sunil-john/amp/

[2] Future Faces of?Tourism report available at https://www.theredsea.sa/en/media-center/news/nine-in-10-young-saudis-look-towards-tourism-careers-as-the-countrys-economy-diversifies