Saudi Arabia promised its citizens a new kingdom – glass cities in the desert, ski slopes in the mountains, and an economy no longer dependent on oil. But one by one, the mega projects are being scaled back, suspended, or quietly buried. Now, with the Iran war closing the Strait of Hormuz and oil exports down, the kingdom is bleeding revenue while its deficits grow. Ole Alsaker talks to Karen Elliott House, a journalist who knows the Kingdom better than almost anyone – to ask whether Vision 2030 was ever real, and what happens if it fails.
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