The world has never seen such wealth as it does today, and the global economy has never reached its current size. Yet poverty has not disappeared, nor has the gap between rich and poor narrowed as much as many economists expected. Rather, the great paradox is that the world is getting richer while the feeling of inequality is increasing.

World Bank and United Nations reports indicate that hundreds of millions of people still live in poverty despite tremendous scientific and technological progress. Moreover, a large proportion of global wealth is concentrated in the hands of a limited number of individuals and companies, while millions of people face difficulty in obtaining quality education, healthcare, housing, and decent job opportunities.

Globalization has helped raise living standards in many countries and lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, especially in Asia. But at the same time, in some economies, it has widened the income and wealth gap, as the more educated and those better able to invest in technology benefited at a faster pace than others.

Then the digital revolution added a new dimension to this gap. The modern economy rewards knowledge and innovation more than ever, and giant technology companies achieve market values exceeding the economies of entire countries. In contrast, traditional jobs face increasing pressure due to automation and artificial intelligence, posing challenges for less skilled labor.

The effects of the widening wealth gap are not limited to the social aspect but extend to the economy itself. When wealth is overly concentrated, consumption among low-income groups weakens, social mobility opportunities decline, and this affects growth rates and stability, increasing pressure on public policies.

The OECD points out that investment in education, training, health, women's empowerment, and support for small and medium enterprises are among the most effective policies in reducing inequality and achieving more inclusive economic growth.

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Vision represents a model of development that does not focus solely on increasing GDP but seeks to expand economic opportunities, raise homeownership rates, empower youth and women, develop the non-profit sector, improve quality of life, and enable them to access education, work, healthcare, and give them a fair chance to participate in shaping the future.

The question remains: Can poverty be eliminated in the world? Perhaps complete eradication of poverty is an extremely difficult goal, but reducing it and mitigating its effects is an achievable goal if the right policies, investment in human capital, governance, and fairness in access to opportunities are in place.