Under King Fahd, the Kingdom’s resources have been used to enable the Saudi economy to diversify. A prerequisite of diversification was the development of the country's infrastructure.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that, although the Kingdom’s development plans were ambitious, they were achievable. Nevertheless, it is worth emphasizing that, when each of the plans was announced, it was not unreasonable to question whether they could be fulfilled. Success should not detract from the enormity of the challenge, nor from the courage it took to take bold decisions in sometimes difficult political or economic circumstances.

The commitment of resources to the development of the infrastructure and the provision of social services also indicates the emphasis that King Fahd, throughout his life, has placed on empowering Saudi citizens to play a full role within their society.