Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, born on 31 August 1985, is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and a principal driver behind the Kingdom’s sweeping transformation agenda. He has also served as Prime Minister since 2022 and chairs the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Early life and education
Mohammed bin Salman is the son of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Princess Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain. He grew up in Riyadh during a period of rapid infrastructure growth under his father’s governorship of the region. He earned a bachelor’s degree in law from King Saud University in 2007.
Rise to leadership
His formal political career began when he became an adviser to his father in 2009. When King Salman ascended the throne in 2015, Mohammed bin Salman was designated Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs. In June 2017, he was appointed Crown Prince, becoming the heir apparent.
Vision 2030 and the economic shift
As Crown Prince, he launched and championed the Kingdom’s flagship reform programme, Vision 2030, which aims to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil by diversifying into sectors such as tourism, entertainment, and technology. Under his leadership, the public-investment fund has become a key instrument in pursuing this strategy.
Social reforms have included allowing cinemas, expanding women’s employment, and other measures intended to modernise the society. At the same time, his leadership has drawn international attention for human-rights issues and foreign-policy interventions.
Soudah Development: Mountains as a destination
In February 2021, Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of the Soudah Development Company (SDC), wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, with the goal of transforming the mountainous region of Soudah and the heritage village of Rijal Almaa in the Aseer region into a luxury year-round tourism destination. The project covers approximately 627 km² and set an investment benchmark of over SAR 11 billion (roughly US$3 billion) at launch.
SDC is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with a board of leading Saudi officials and international experts. The idea is to celebrate and preserve local culture and heritage whilst building sustainable tourism infrastructure: luxury hotels, mountain-resort amenities, adventure trails, and wellness retreats.
Significance and outlook
Soudah Development fits squarely within Vision 2030’s objective of making tourism a growth engine for the Saudi economy. For Mohammed bin Salman, the project signals that Saudi Arabia is opening its natural landscapes to visitors and shifting towards experience-based economies. It also offers job creation and regional uplift in the Aseer area.
By weaving heritage preservation with luxury development, the project seeks to avoid the “cookie-cutter resort” trap. Instead, visitors may encounter local traditions, mountain vistas, and cultural authenticity. The Crown Prince’s leadership in SDC underscores that the initiative is more than business, as it is part of the Kingdom’s identity shift.
The Road Ahead
Mohammed bin Salman Soudah development stands at the intersection of tradition and transformation. As the driving force behind Vision 2030 and head of Soudah Development, he is intimately involved in reshaping not only Saudi Arabia’s economy but also how the world sees its landscapes and society. Whether the journey succeeds fully remains to be seen, yet the scale and ambition are unmistakable.
