The Gulf’s battle for 2030: Who comes out ahead?

The Gulf monarchies have always shared a strange paradox — ancient traditions wrapped around cutting-edge modernity. But this new generation of leaders isn’t content with only being rich. They want to be relevant. They want their countries to matter in a post-oil world — to host the world’s conferences, dominate global finance, and maybe even colonize Mars. That’s the spirit behind a trilogy of grand national visions: Saudi Vision 2030, Qatar National Vision 2030, and the UAE’s “We the UAE 2031.” Each one is a roadmap to survive the end of the oil age. But each leader is approaching it differently — like three rival CEOs in the same industry trying to sell different versions of the same dream….