A little over three weeks ago, he met with a group of Saudi reformists representing 120 intellectuals and academics who had signed a petition calling for radical, extensive reforms within the Kingdom. They include elections to the Shoura Council, envisaged as a lawmaking legislature; universal suffrage; the independence of the judiciary; the right of women to pursue roles in public life; elected municipal councils; the right of free association and the right to set up civil organizations, such as trades unions or clubs; freedom of speech; the monitoring of public spending; the eradication of the national debt; the strengthening and diversification of the economy so as to withstand foreign takeovers.

For some Saudis, the concept of a civil society encapsulated by these ideas may seem wholly alien. But these are not new, foreign or un-Islamic ideas. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the first Caliph, Abubakar, was elected by his companions. At the time, they were the Muslim community.

Whether or not all the reformists’ proposals become law, the crown prince and the rest of the government are fully in tune with the need for reform. They know, as we all do, that Saudi Arabia has grown into too vast, too complex an economy and society for only a small group of people, no matter how skilled, to make all the decisions. It is an impossible burden. Just as there has to be diversification of the economy if it is to grow, so too there has to be diversification in decision-making and in responsibility if administration is not to be crushed under the sheer weight of the workload.

The Kingdom is evolving. The privatization of 20 of the country’s sectors of economic activity announced last November is probably the most high-profile example of change, but it is happening elsewhere — not with great trumpet blasts, but quietly, often without people noticing it. One example is the media. It is very different from that of a decade ago, even just three years ago. Contentious issues and criticism are now an increasing feature of the Saudi press. Two examples of change were in yesterday’s Arab News. The Shoura Council wants to discuss the changes proposed in the reform petition, and Saudi journalists are to get their own trade association. This is change in action.

Anyone who thinks that Saudi Arabia cannot change and develop is deaf and blind. There is probably no country on earth that has changed so much in the past 30 years. It has changed almost beyond recognition. It is not just a question of buildings and infrastructure. This is a visibly different society to what it was before the oil boom.

Change is part of human existence. If there is one lesson from history about human society, it is that nothing stays the same. Change will continue to happen in Saudi Arabia. Without it, there can only be stagnation.