When the US and Israel decided to wage war against Iran, the Gulf States were caught unawares. As Iran launched unprecedented attacks on its neighbours, a period of regional stability and economic security came an end. For Saudi Arabia, currently undergoing a major economic and social transformation, the war could not have come at a worse time.
On Foreign Correspondent the ABC’s Middle East reporter Matthew Doran has travelled to the Kingdom to see first-hand how Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salmon is remaking itself. His plan is called Vision 2030 – a multi trillion-dollar agenda to transform the Kingdom from a petrostate into an international powerhouse for tourism, technology, culture and trade. Matthew made his first visit to the country before the war. He returned during an uneasy ceasefire to see whether the Saudi’s grand plans for the future have been thrown into jeopardy.
Foreign Correspondent is the prime-time international public affairs program on Australia's national broadcaster, ABC-TV. We produce half-hour duration in-depth reports for broadcast across the ABC's television channels and digital platforms. Since 1992, our teams have journeyed to more than 170 countries to report on conflict, natural disasters and social and political upheaval – through the eyes of the people at the heart of it all.
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