FIVE THINGS ABOUT A ‘MODERN’ PRINCE

1 WEAN OFF OIL

Saudi Arabia’s ambitious young crown prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, wants to modernize the kingdom and wean it off its dependence on oil. His vision for Saudi’s future could see robots outnumbering humans, drones carrying passengers and an omnipresent high-speed internet known as “digital air.”

2 MODERATE ISLAM

Prince Mohammed told investors in Riyadh his modernization plans would go hand-in-hand with political reforms to lead his kingdom back to “moderate Islam” and away from severe Wahhabi Islam.

3 MOVE PAST 1979

The prince said he wanted to move his country past 1979, the year Wahhabi clerics forcefully asserted themselves over Saudi politics following the assassination of King Faisal in 1975. While the years before had seen a gradual expansion of education for women, as well as growing use of technology, much of that progress came to a halt after the killing of the king.

4 WOMEN CAN DRIVE

Recent reforms include allowing women to drive, but it remains one of the world’s most socially conservative societies. However, noting 70 per cent of the Saudi population is under 30, the 32-year-old prince, who came to power in June, said: “We will not spend the next 30 years of our lives dealing with destructive ideas … We will end extremism very soon.”

5 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ZONE

The prince’s remarks came as he announced plans for NEOM, a vast economic zone stretching across Saudi’s borders into neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, covering 26,500 square kilometres. It will be significantly larger than neighbouring Israel, Lebanon or Kuwait.