The economic challenges faced by some regional countries stem from failures in governance and vision, as well as an inability to diagnose problems and innovate solutions. Nations that have planned for the next half-century are better equipped to overcome these daunting economic challenges. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, exemplifies the necessity of aligning with history and overcoming future challenges. After a few years, this visionary approach has proven to be a safeguard against regional upheavals and catastrophic crises.
Throughout the 20th century, ideological rhetoric overshadowed economic theories and development ideas. Some leaders delivered lengthy speeches about East and West without addressing their collapsing nations. These ideological, unifying speeches offered no solutions. The unforgiving cycle of history has shown troubled nations today that the visions of Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, are capable of steering the region toward safety.
Philosopher Max Weber argued that economic development is the compass for changing social, political, or religious ideas. Although rooted in sociology, Weber positioned economics as the foundation for intellectual and social change, viewing capitalism not merely as profit-driven but as rationalized domination. Weber’s roots trace back to industrious Protestant ancestors, and his political family background influenced his work. Despite being shaped by his era’s conflicts, he developed a unique analytical and critical methodology evident in his extensive writings on sociology, including education, law, violence, the state, politics, economics, and music.
Weber’s seminal work explored the tensions between Protestant ethics and the spirit of capitalism, concluding that capitalism arose from Protestant ethics. His sociological mission was to uncover general and specific patterns within social actions by examining relationships. Economic success inevitably drives social and intellectual change. The region’s crisis over the past century has been fueled by ideological movements like Ba’athism, Nasserism, and the Muslim Brotherhood, which placed the cart before the horse, reflecting a lack of vision.
In conclusion, the economy is the foundation of everything. A nation’s rise cannot occur without prioritizing the economy, followed by other domains. Clinging to outdated ideas or leftist theories and progressive slogans has become part of the region’s dark history. Success in the economy now guarantees overall success, as evidenced by the Gulf states’ modern experiments over the past half-century. Critics once dismissed Gulf models, but now they are emulating them, as the poet Drid bin Al-Sumama said: “They did not recognize good advice until the morning after.”
— new from (العربية)