Saudi Arabia’s ambitious young crown prince has said he will lead his country back to “moderate Islam” as he announced plans for a vast new £380 million economic development zone.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman told investors gathered in Riyadh that his economic modernisation plans would go hand-in-hand with with political reforms to guide the conservative kingdom away from severe Wahhabi Islam.

"We are returning to what we were before - a country of moderate Islam that is open to all religions and to the world," the 32-year-old prince said.

"We will not spend the next 30 years of our lives dealing with destructive ideas. We will destroy them today," he added. "We will end extremism very soon."

The prince's pledge is a challenge to Saudi's conservative clerics and came as he announced plans for NEOM, a new economic zone that will stretch across Saudi’s borders into neighboring Egypt and Jordan.

The zone will be 26,500km square, making it bigger than Wales and significantly larger than neighbouring Middle Eastern states like Israel, Lebanon or Kuwait.

The project is the latest announcement from Prince Mohammed, who is pushing aggressively to modernise the kingdom and wean it off its dependence on oil as part of his Vision 2030 plan.

He laid out a vision of a futuristic economic zone where robots may outnumber humans, drones will carry passengers and omnipresent high-speed internet will be known as “digital air”.

Saudi has announced a string of reforms in recent months, including plans to allow women to drive, but it remains one of the world’s most socially conservative societies.

Prince Mohammed’s modernising plans have been applauded by many western leaders but some analysts are sceptical that he will be able to push through economic and political changes on the scale he is talking about.

Earlier this year, the royal family backed away from plans to cut benefits for state employees in the face of public anger - a sign of how difficult it may be to reform Saudi Arabia’s oil-based economy.

Last week, Saudi authorities said they were forming a council of Islamic scholars who would counter violent interpretations of the Koran and the hadith - a set of lessons learned from the life of the prophet Mohammed.

The government has also eased restrictions on the use of video messaging applications like Skype and Whatsapp.

The investment conference itself was intended as a symbol of modernity and dubbed by some observers as “Davos in the Desert”.

Men and women sat together at the event and it was attended high-profile figures like Tony Blair and Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund.

“This initiative is something you couldn’t have imagined happening in Saudi Arabia even a few years back,” said Mr Blair, who praised the direction of Prince Mohammed’s reforms.

His comments were criticised by Reprieve, a British human rights group, which called Mr Blair’s praise “spectacularly tone deaf” in light of Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record.
“The Saudi government has executed hundreds of people in the past few years – including protesters and children,” said Maya Foa, Reprieve’s director.

Prince Mohammed became heir to the throne in June at the expense of his older cousin, the powerful interior minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayaf, who was stripped of his title as crown prince.

His father, King Salman, is 81 and in poor health and Prince Mohammed is widely seen as the effective ruler of Saudi Arabia. He serves as the country’s defence minister and has wide powers to manage its economy.

The prince has led the country’s war in neighboring Yemen, which has seen more than 10,000 people killed. The UN recently blacklisted the Saudi-led military coalition for killing and injuring hundreds of children in the conflict.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/saudi-prince-promises-lead-country-150439825.html?.tsrc=fauxdal


Cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44, OAM4J

don't you think It's a new development?

This is good. We can see how the birthplace of Islam is being influenced by western education to think science and technology while Northern Muslims are going back to Pre Mohammed era to justify their suppression of their followers.



I see the Northern muslims being the next people to be ferried back to Neanderthal era by technology because they ve sworn to remain backward.





Buhari who is the face of northern Muslims should bury his head in shame because his mates are moderating their Islamic views to conform with this 21st century while he is still trying to keep another million almajiri under bondage because of poltics

Northern muslims will be the only ones in Cave then



People should stop condemning that vow rather they should click on it and come here to watch over those extremist here and counter their views because if Islam is allowed to reign supreme without any interference then the human race will be in trouble

I hope his ambitions are not thwarted by the so-called "conservatives".

By the way, why should I sign a confession before commenting on an Islamic post. It is things like this that the crown Prince wants to dissolve.

Well clicking "I accept" doesn't mean I accept. It is just an "on Click()" event. Lol

The beginning of your downfall.

may ALLAH not alllow you

Just sceptical.

I'm in support of any reform that will give ISLAM good image in accordance to the Shariah.

I love ISLAM

ISLAM till my last breath Insha Allah.

Good man

saraki2019:
may ALLAH not alllow you

SEE them....CaVeMaN

Before I use to get scared of taking that oath before commenting on topics like this. Seun it is pathetic and you should do something about it.


Arab Muslims are gradually deviating from the norm, seeing their neighbours U.A.E making strides in economic development because of their relaxed laws, I am sure they would want to do the same, though a little moderate and not as relaxed as Dubai and the other Emirates.

Tony Blair is such a thief, ever since he left government, he has used his connections for global businesses

Modified

Abeg Seun, Mynd44 and other mods, abeg make una find way clean this I believe that there is no god/God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet from my profile. I no go comment for Muslim threads again ooo

I be Christian ooo, this una oath wey una give us to swear, I no know say e get implications, abeg I no swear for una again, sorry I wouldn't swear again

The saudis oppress women, beheads pple,fund conflicts in yemen and oda arab countries. But the west wont see any thing wrong in dat because they are allies. Hypocrites everywhere

If you give the average Muslim the following options to live in:

A. USA or B. Saudi
A. Canada or B. Iran
A. UAE or B. Afghanistan

The greater number would choose the A options. Why? A grave, shameless hypocrisy. They profess the extremist lie, but want to live lives of freedom. Pakistan has the highest rate of Internet pornog.raphic indulgence in the world; there's a substance abuse and homosexuality epidemic in Northern Nigeria; there is a religion-induced paedophilia problem in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

More Muslims are migrating to the West and the free world, because they want to be free.

So, why not just practice a more moderate religion void of violence, killing, extreme Sharia, terrorism, paedophilia and discrimination against women and minorities, so that you can nations can be like those you want to run to.

May Allah bless this Saudi Prince.
May Allah bless the UAE monarchy.

Well, the yerubas are the only moderate Muslims I know.

But the truth remain that the core north does not see them as true Muslims. They only see them as objects of conquest that are only useful for the achievement of their religious and political goals.

But the truth still remain that, If all Muslims are like the yerubas I think their wont be much problem with inslam as regard terrorism and bigotry.

If you can my prince. It's recommendable. But I know you cant cos Islam is built on terrorism and bigotry. Islam has always been known as the only religion that uses terror, war and conquest to expand.

Bloody hypocrites. So are they confirming that they have been extremists all this while ?

After propagating harsh wahabi ideology that gave Islam bad name now they want to backtrack.

BH and Alshabab got played by this Arab saud family opportunists

May Allah make it easy for him

yeyerolling:
The saudis oppress women, beheads pple,fund conflicts in yemen and oda arab countries. But the west wont see any thing wrong in dat because they are allies. Hypocrites everywhere

The same Saudi's wanted Assad gone and talking about democracy in Syria, Libya and Iraq
A country a lady can't even drive
The most useless country in the world

That's double standard of the west

In other words, they have been extremists .

Anyway, they want to take a clue from Dubai as this has boosted their tourism
BTW,
I will only take him serious the day he allows a church to be built in Mecca

Wow! U really mean I had to go through all those just to comment? Anyway, I dont believe any of those. With princes like this, extremism can finally be put to bed. Other countries may likely follow suit. May God protect him to make good his promises!!!

Young man there is nothing like 'moderate Islam'
may you lead Saudi arabia to become stronger in Islam.

If you don't use sharia law then you are not moderate. Prophet said two religions should not exist in saudi and you are planning to have more than one religion in saudi and you called it, how?

Sense is Falling on Em Already.

Extremism does not encourage development.

Lilimax:
Move on jare! The allegiance na wash

See your signature!