“Citizen’s Version: Enhancing Transparency and National Participation”

This article was translated using artificial intelligence and the original language of the article is Arabic.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is rapidly advancing and making its mark on history through continuous achievements. I have followed with pride and admiration the state’s budget figures for the year 1446-1447. We have seen the release of the “Citizen’s Version,” which citizens have reviewed and shared on social media. This version presents the basic information of the state budget by establishing transparency with the citizen, providing them with a complete understanding of the budget, including expenditures, revenues, spending trends, budget surplus, public debt, and the most prominent achievements and targets.

The elegantly and professionally produced version included a historical statement by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman: “The Saudi citizen is the main engine of development and its effective tool, and the young men and women of this country are the foundation of achievement and the hope of the future.” This emphasizes our leadership’s concern for the citizen and their involvement in the development process. The version also included a prominent historical statement by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman: “The Kingdom is proceeding on a clear path, and the goal of our government, under the leadership and guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is primarily to serve citizens and residents and preserve our developmental gains. We are confident in the energies and capabilities of the sons and daughters of this country who are competing to innovate, produce, and contribute to achieving our vision of reaching a vibrant society, a prosperous economy, and an ambitious nation.” These words serve as a national methodology and a developmental beacon that illuminates the paths of a bright future for the nation and its generations.

I was pleased with this distinguished approach of our wise leadership through the Citizen’s Version, which also included a statement by His Excellency the Minister of Finance. The version came in 37 pages and included 22 topics, namely: defining financial and economic terms, sustainable economy and building our future, social support as a basic pillar, Made in Saudi Arabia, achievements of Vision 2030 programs, the most prominent trends of the 2025 budget, the most important budget targets in the medium term, the most prominent risks to public finances for 2025 in the medium term, and the most prominent achievements and targets across sectors.

The budget revealed that the deficit for the current year amounted to 115 billion riyals, about 2.9% of the gross domestic product. According to the statement, revenues amounted to 1.23 trillion riyals, while expenditures amounted to about 1.345 trillion riyals.

The Citizen’s Version emphasized linking the citizen and their active participation in supporting the development process, and the importance of their involvement and knowledge of achievements and targets. This confirms the leadership’s keenness – may God protect them – to enhance the spirit of transparency and employ the principles of active participation in economic growth and the achievement of the state’s visions and goals.