In a country where the sun burns the dunes and tradition has carved centuries of silence, something is moving. Saudi Arabia is no longer just the kingdom of oil and Wahhabism: it has become the laboratory of a silent revolution, led by a young, connected, and impatient generation. 72% of the population is under thirty. They were born with smartphones in hand, they speak the language of social media, they interact with the world in real time. Their parents didn't even have a public square to meet; instead, they build digital communities, imagine cities in the desert, and challenge the rules imposed by the Islamic clergy with irony and creativity. This is not just an economic or urban transition: it is an anthropological mutation. The desert is no longer just sand and silence, but a space of possibility, contradictions, dreams, and algorithms. And while those in power seek to channel this energy into the Vision 2030 project, young Saudis are reinventing the meaning of freedom, identity, and the future.
Social media has become the primary tool for expression, aggregation, and mobilization for young Saudis. TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter are not just entertainment platforms, but spaces of freedom , where new languages are experimented with, religious rigidities are criticized, and alternative identities are constructed.
This digital revolution has had tangible effects:
Greater awareness of individual rights.
Growth of artistic, musical and cultural movements.
Pressure for social and civil reforms, even if still limited.
For centuries, the Wahhabi clergy exercised widespread control over public and private life. However, in recent years, their power has been diminished. The mutawas , or religious police, have been weakened, and many restrictions have been eased. But control has not disappeared: it has transformed. Today, surveillance also involves algorithms and artificial intelligence , integrated into government structures and security systems.
's report for "Speciale Tg1" shows a country in full metamorphosis: the desert is filling with skyscrapers, shopping malls, theme parks, and smart cities . Its GDP of over $1.1 trillion is being invested in building a future that can attract investors, tourists, and talent.
The masked people's dance is a mystical unity of rhythm, sound, and color. They move with special rhythmic steps. They fill the air with the sound of their bells and whispered blessings of prosperity. Their costumes cover most of the body and include wooden masks decorated with animals (sometimes with two faces) and large bells.
C'è una tribù che infesta i nostri salotti e i social network, "una categoria dello spirito" che si nutre di contraddizione e rancore: i "comunisti senza Rolex". Non sono rivoluzionari, non sono idealisti, e nemmeno autentici difensori della giustizia sociale. Sono moralisti di professione, predicatori di un'etica che non nasce da convinzione, ma...
Every human being is born immersed in a sea of perceptions. Consciousness is the first shore we touch: a fragile landing place that allows us to say "I" to the world. But consciousness is not a fixed point: it is a movement, a flow that renews itself every moment. It is the ability to recognize that we are alive and that...
