Where is the modernizer and despot steering the kingdom?

Saudi Arabia is the world's leading exporter of crude oil. But Crown Prince MBS wants to prepare the country for the post-oil era.

Two-thirds of the country's population is under 30 years old, and the crown prince is taking radical measures to turn the previously strictly conservative society on its head. 

The documentary shows how contradictory Mohammed bin Salman's ambitions for his "Vision 2030" are, as it takes a look behind the scenes of the transformation.

On the one hand, there is the "Neom" project, which aims to create a futuristic new megacity in the desert. 

Tourism is to be expanded, major music and sporting events are to be brought to the country, and an extravagant lifestyle is being promoted. 

At the same time, an authoritarian style of government continues to prevail, dissidents are sometimes brutally suppressed, and women's rights are still not fully granted - even if the influence of the ultra-conservative religious leaders of Wahhabism is no longer as strong as it once was. 
 

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW English

WED 31.12.2025 – 01:15 UTC
WED 31.12.2025 – 04:15 UTC
THU 01.01.2026 – 09:15 UTC
THU 01.01.2026 – 16:15 UTC
THU 01.01.2026 – 21:15 UTC
FRI 02.01.2026 – 12:15 UTC
SAT 03.01.2026 – 02:15 UTC
SUN 04.01.2026 – 08:15 UTC

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