About
UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. With offices in more than 177 countries and territories, we offer a global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. Acting as the UN development system’s convener; UNDP worked with governments to mobilize the skills and ideas of different stakeholders and now has an important role to advocate for the central role of local governments and development actors to localize the SDGs.
UNDP Saudi Arabia works on Sustainable Economic and Social Development through diversifying economic sources, developing human capabilities, creating job opportunities and promoting private sector involvement in the Sustainable Development Goals achievement. This focus area is addressing SDG 1, 8, 9, 11 and 16.
Over the last four decades, Saudi Arabia has achieved and sustained remarkable progress along the socio-economic development pathway at all fronts, as it spanned all sectors of the economy. As a result of this, the Kingdom has been able to move from an underdeveloped status to the very high human development country with all the means of a promising and sustainable future. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP), for instance, increased from SAR 156 billion in 1969 to SAR 942 billion in 2011 and SAR 2,575 billion in 2017, putting the economy among the top 20 global economies in terms of size.
The Saudi Vision 2030 represents an ambitious blueprint packed with long-term goals and expectations grounded in the strengths and capabilities of the Kingdom. The vision is expressed in three themes of a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. A thorough review of the three themes and their underlying issues of national concern would reveal a holistic approach to development that encompasses the three dimensions of sustainable development: the social, the economic and the environmental.
Saudi Arabia has expressed commitment to achieve the SDGs. It recognizes that both the SDGs and the Saudi Vision 2030 call for inclusive processes of development whereby all stakeholders get involved, not only in the realization of an achievement but in sharing its benefits as well. For any meaningful engagement of all stakeholders, though, there is a need to design policies with the concept of inclusiveness in mind. That requires considering all aspects of inclusiveness, ranging from equity to empowerment, opportunities, and participation to satisfaction.
