When Saudi IT consultant Fatimah Almathami arrived to study in Brisbane, people often asked her if Saudi Arabia was safe for women.
Ironically, what Ms Almathami missed the most about her home country was how safe she felt going out late at night for coffee or a meal with her friends.
"I actually don't blame them," she said, referring to her friends in Australia who had only ever read negative things about Saudi Arabia.
Few Australians seemed aware of the rapid transformation that has been taking place since 2019 in the Islamic Kingdom, which was formerly home to some of the most strict gender-based laws in the world.
As protests for women’s rights rage across Iran and much of the region is enveloped in post-revolution chaos, neighbouring Saudi Arabia has been quietly reforming repressive laws and pushing forward mass development plans as the country opens up to tourism.
In recent years, strict dress regulations, mandatory gender segregation and a ban on women drivers were abolished.
A guardianship system, which forbade women from travelling or even leaving the house without a male family member, was amended.
On a recent visit to Saudi Arabia, women made up a large percentage of the work force as border agents, tour guides, in hospitality and fields that would have seemed unimaginable a few years ago.
Where concerts and cinemas were once banned, Justin Bieber, Blackpink and Bruno Mars were headlining, while men and women mingled freely in public places.
It's all part of Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's plan to build a modern economy less dependent on oil.
But at the same time, Saudi Arabia has also imprisoned activists and carried out hundreds of state executions, while migrant workers routinely report abuse and exploitation.
As some laud Saudi's rapid advancements, others say they are just a front to attract international investment and tourism.
Even the crown prince, the man behind the push for modernisation, is suspected of involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the round-up of other political opponents.
Human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea told the ABC while there have been some reforms under the leadership of the crown prince, "Saudi Arabia has experienced one of the worst periods of repression in the country’s modern history".
Regardless, changes are happening and fast, especially for young Saudi women like Fatimah Almathami.
'A blast for all of us'
Ms Almathami spent almost 14 years living in Australia as she studied her bachelor's, master's and PhD degrees at the University of Queensland.
Each year, when she returned for holidays, she would see transformations.
She returned to Saudi in July and currently lives in the capital Riyadh, helping other young Saudi women break into IT, where she said women now outnumber men studying in this field.
Before the reforms, Ms Almathami said gender segregation meant women could only work in segregated education facilities or medicine.