Written by Alexandra Nyoni
04/12/2025
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest country in the Middle East, occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 36 million people and hosts the cities of Mecca and Medina, two of the holiest cities in Islam.
Arabic is the official language, and Sunni Islam the majority religion. Home to a large expatriate community, Saudi Arabia possesses one of the world’s largest proven oil reserves and is a leading global petroleum exporter, giving it significant influence within the international energy market. Governed as an absolute monarchy, the kingdom is currently led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, who is arguably best known for his ambitious economic diversification and social reform programme, Vision 2030.
As Saudi Arabia nears the midpoint of its Vision 2030 programme, the country looks strikingly different from the country of a generation ago. The country now hosts new cinemas, international concerts, mega-projects like NEOM (a programme designed to diversify the economy away from oil), and a deliberate courting of foreign investment. However, the economic and social opening intended to transform the state’s revenue base and international reputation is combined with a strong leaning toward authoritarianism and strict cultural guidelines that make life difficult for those outside of the ‘typical’ lifestyle in Saudi Arabia. The country still operates under Islamic rules and culture, and while many expatriates maintain aspects of a more ‘Western’ lifestyle, locals who are non-Muslim still face scrutiny and discrimination.
Saudi Arabia today: economy, culture, and geopolitics
Economically, Riyadh has focused heavily on diversification as it moves toward reaching its Vision 2030 goals. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) finances domestic projects and invests abroad, while the government has increased incentives for other countries to invest in its new programmes. The country is also more open to tourists than it was a decade ago, further allowing for diversification of the economy.
Culturally, the kingdom has embraced visible liberalisations that would have been unthinkable two decades ago. Entertainment venues, music festivals, and major sporting deals are now more prevalent than ever. Saudi entities are also deepening ties with global sports bodies as part of a strategy to increase its soft power and tourism. The signing of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo to Al Nassr in June 2023 greatly increased the visibility of Saudi football on a global scale.
Geopolitically, the Crown Prince has pursued renewed regional engagement by re-establishing ties with his Arab neighbours, balancing relations with major powers, and trying to improve his country’s economic partnerships. These efforts are all seen as part of a broader attempt to position the country as a regional hub for business, tourism, and culture. Human rights organisations and Western governments, however, continue to voice serious concerns about the treatment of activists, journalists, political dissidents, and religious minorities.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (commonly known as MBS) is arguably the most influential figure in the country’s recent history. Since coming to his position in 2017, he has driven the economic and social agenda of Vision 2030, repositioning the Saudi state away from near-total dependence on oil revenues and toward an economy and culture that encourages tourism, entertainment, and increased technology. Some of his major changes include allowing women to drive, allowing public concerts, and loosening gender segregation in social spaces. All these changes have been presented as part of a coherent modernisation programme aimed at transforming both society and the state’s economic position.
Politically, his approach combines societal reform with tight control. Reforms are enacted by decree and implemented through state institutions, but the space for organised political dissent or independent civil society remains severely constrained. International critics point to cases of harsh sentences for activists and limits on free expression as proof that he still largely restricts aspects of society and individual freedoms. For many, the mix of dramatic social change and continued political repression defines the duplicity of Saudi Arabia’s modernisation under the Crown Prince.
Christianity in Saudi Arabia
Christianity’s history on the Arabian Peninsula is long-running. Archaeological evidence and historical records show Christian communities and churches in parts of modern-day Saudi Arabia that date back many centuries before Islam became the dominant religion of the region. Over time, much of the indigenous Christian population either converted, migrated, or assimilated into the local culture. By the medieval period, Christianity in much of what is now Saudi Arabia had largely dissolved from a public presence and transformed into an ‘underground’ church.
According to the Joshua Project, 3.7% of Saudi Arabia’s population is Christian, and 90.3% of the total population is considered ‘unreached’ with the Gospel.
Today, the visible Christian population in Saudi Arabia is overwhelmingly made up of expatriates. Large numbers of foreign workers, including many Filipinos, Westerners, Africans, and South Asians, practise Christianity privately. Saudi law does not allow for public Christian worship or non-Muslim places of worship, and evangelising is prohibited. Converts from Islam face severe legal and social repercussions. International religious-freedom monitors and rights organisations consistently classify Saudi Arabia as a country with very restricted religious freedom for non-Muslims and for Muslim converts. While these restrictions are harsh for those who practise Christianity, it is seen as much more offensive for local Saudis to practise any religion other than Islam. Expatriates, while subject to the same laws, are often much more tolerated for not practising Islam. This makes building the local Church difficult, as there are few opportunities for sharing the Gospel due to the high risk of punishment.
Please join us in prayer for the following:
- For the recent openings in Saudi culture to allow for more opportunities to share the Gospel with local people
- For Saudi Christians to remain steadfast in their faith despite opposition and threat of repercussions
- For the global Church to keep Saudi Arabia in prayer and for the Lord to reach the hearts of the unreached in the nation
Sources: Saudi Vision 2030, Reuters, Financial Times, Human Rights Watch, US State Department, Joshua Project
