The message from Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman couldn’t have been clearer: Saudi Arabia is turning a page, and returning to the moderate, inclusive version of Islam that it upheld before 1979. “Saudi Arabia was not like this before 1979. We want to go back to what we were, the moderate Islam that’s open to all religions. We want to live a normal life.” This was a reference to the rise of political Islam in the years following the assassination of King Faisal in 1975 and the Iranian revolution in 1979.

Prince Mohammad’s words amount to nothing short of a policy decision, given his seniority in the Saudi government. He went on to say, “We will not spend the next 30 years of our lives dealing with destructive ideas. We will destroy them today.”

The Crown Prince’s statements signify a major shift in Saudi Arabia’s socio-political dynamics. They have the power to rattle some ultra-conservatives, and indeed all extremists, but that is the whole point. The fact that this is coming from the top is meant to be a stern message to all those who harbour destructive ideas. It is a clear warning that their worldview will not be imposed on Saudi society any longer. The kingdom is a full member of the international comity of nations, and will adopt policies that are in line with the rest of the world.

Prince Mohammad made the comments at a conference in which the kingdom announced the launch of an independent economic zone on the Red Sea, three times the size of Cyprus and with a half a trillion dollars in projected investments. Saudi Arabia is on the fast-track to reform; the Crown Prince’s vision for the future of his country is an enlightened one. He wants to ensure that regressive ideas and outdated mores do not come in the way of his plans for his citizens.

Saudi Arabia will always remain the spiritual home of Islam. It houses the two holy mosques, and is the birthplace of a noble, tolerant religion that has more than 1.6 billion followers across the globe. But there have been those who have propagated an intolerant vision of Islam both inside the country and abroad, and indeed some who have criminally misused it to justify violence and terrorism. All such people should beware — there will be no place for them and their ideas in Saudi Arabia.