Crown Prince Says His Country "Not Normal"

Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, isn't just consolidating power before his probable ascent to the throne. He's also trying to remake Saudi society. He bluntly told reporters that his country is "not normal." And so, like Ataturk in post-World War I Turkey, the shah in pre-revolutionary Iran, and other authoritarian movers and shakers, he's going to modernize his society - and fast.

McKinsey's consultants helped design Vision 2030, the prince's sweeping reform agenda aimed at ushering Saudi Arabia into a more open, post-petroleum future. Reforms underway emphasize a vibrant private sector, a smaller bureaucracy, curbs on the power of the Wahhabi religious establishment and even the reopening of shuttered cinemas. The crown prince has vowed to restore a more "moderate Islam." No wonder the international community, despite some lingering unease about Mohammed's power grab and disillusionment with his disastrous war in Yemen, generally applauds all this social engineering. Thomas Friedman called it "Saudi Arabia's Arab Spring, at last."

UAE rulers began, as in Saudi Arabia, with high-profile initiatives promoting knowledge, culture and innovation. For example, to spur the new economy, the UAE built Masdar City, which aims to be the world's first carbon-neutral metropolis, designed to create an ecosystem around renewable energy involving research, innovation, education and product development. Mohammed is developing the city of Neom, which translates roughly as "new future," with a robotics theme and similarly grand aims. On the social front, the UAE appointed a minister of state for tolerance, while the Saudis have the new Center for Moderation.