Young ,Gifted , And Saudi

At just 27 years old, Adwa Al Dakheel has already been working for almost half of her life. From musician to stock trader to entrepreneur and social media star, she has emerged as the face of ‘new Saudi Arabia’. In an exclusive interview, the businesswoman discusses the kingdom’s youth movement, how she is seeking to improve the country’s social landscape, and why books are a central part of her life

- Neil King

IN THE THREE YEARS SINCE THE LAUNCH of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 diversification plan, the kingdom’s young people have emerged as leading players in the dramatic shi taking place across the country.

Against the backdrop of dwindling oil supplies, corruption crackdowns and diplomatic tensions, the country’s largest age demographic has been gradually building momentum with their own businesses, initiatives and aspirations.

According to the CIA World Factbook, 41.58 per cent of Saudis are under the age of 25, while 70 per cent are aged under 30. Official statistics from the kingdom show that more than 8.5 million people were aged between 20 and 35 years old in 2016 – 5.6 million of whom were Saudis, and 2.9 million were expats.

Vision 2030 itself has you Them empowerment coursing through its veins. e project’s driving force, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – himself only 33 years old – described the nation’s youth as “architects of our future”, and later stated “70 per cent of the population is under 30, and we won’t allow the other 30 per cent to hold them back”.

Education, entrepreneurship, opportunity and participation are all keywords associated with the Vision, with young people being given permission to take up the gauntlet in many various ways.

One of the most prominent figures in this youth movement is Adwa Al Dakheel – a 27-year-old entrepreneur who has already acquired a long list of impressive achievements during her 13-year career to date.