Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Transformation: Regional Power and Global Influence

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a profound transformation in both its domestic and foreign policy spheres. Once defined by its oil wealth and Western alliances, the Kingdom is now charting a bold new course. At the heart of this shift is Vision 2030, a sweeping national development strategy aimed at economic diversification, private sector growth, and global investment leadership.

This panel will critically examine how domestic reforms are fueling Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical ambitions. We’ll explore:

✅The strategic drivers behind the Kingdom’s realignment

✅The evolving relationships with global powers like the U.S., China, and Russia

✅The role of energy diplomacy, sovereign investment, and cultural outreach

✅The broader implications for regional stability and global power dynamics

Saudi Arabia’s transformation is not just a national story—it’s a global one. Join us as we unpack how Vision 2030 is reshaping the Middle East and redefining international influence in a multipolar world.

Distinguished Speaker

Fahad Nazer was appointed spokesperson for the Embassy of Saudi Arabia to the United States on January 1 8th, 2019. An International Fellow at the National Council on US Arab Relations, Nazer is an experienced political analyst with recognized expertise on political, social, and economic developments in Saudi Arabia. He also examines militant groups operating on the Arabian Peninsula and throughout the surrounding region. Nazer is a frequent columnist for the daily newspaper Arab News, and his publications have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, CNN, Foreign Policy, YaleGlobal Online, The National Interest, and Newsweek. Prior to his appointment as Embassy spokesperson, Nazer served as a political analyst for JTG, Inc. and a terrorism analyst at Array Information Technology Inc. He is a former non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Nazer also previously served as a political consultant for the Embassy. Nazer earned his BA in political science from New York University and an M.A in political science from Saint John's University in New York City. He has also completed the credit and examination requirements of the PhD program in political Science at the Catholic University of America in Washington. 

Distinguished Speaker

Karen Elliott House is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist with nearly five decades of experience covering Saudi Arabia. Her deep expertise informs her latest book, The Man Who Would Be King: Mohammed bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia, which draws on more than half a dozen in-depth interviews with the Crown Prince himself. House spent over 30 years at The Wall Street Journal, serving as a reporter, editor, and ultimately publisher. She is also the author of On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines—and Future. She resides in Princeton, New Jersey. 

Members of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta will find the discount registration code in the email newsletter.