2017 proved a momentous year for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the various strategies related to the country’s Vision 2030 and National Transformation Plan 2020 started to take shape.
Saudi Arabia Energy
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The drop in the price of oil since mid-2014 has had a significant impact on Saudi Arabia, which relies on the stuff for the vast bulk of state revenues – 73% by some estimates – and for around 40% of its GDP. While global demand remains high, the increasing supply of oil on the international market, much of it coming from Russia, US shale oil and Iran, has continued to push prices down. The...
2016 witnessed the launch of the Kingdom’s historic Vision 2030 and the accompanying National Transformation Programme, both of which call for a major overhaul of the state’s economic apparatus and envision a more open market framework and more dynamic, private sector-led growth moving ahead.
The recent fall in oil prices means that the energy sector’s contribution to Saudi Arabia’s economic growth will be limited in 2015, with expansion to be driven more by the non-oil sector, which is forecast to increase by about 5% in 2015. Saudi Arabia’s crude oil production averaged 9.71m bpd in 2014, compared to 9.63m in 2013 and 9.76m in 2012. However, despite lower oil prices, the Kingdom...
In 2015 Saudi Arabia will have generated twice as much electricity as it did in 2000 as demand in the Kingdom continues to expand. Energy-intensive industries, as well as highly subsidised utilities prices for customers, look set to push demand even higher in the coming years, and the government is increasingly looking to boost private sector participation in the sector. Numerous initiatives...
The accession of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in January 2015 was the start of a new chapter for the Kingdom, and with the fall in global oil prices and continued regional turbulence there are undoubtedly challenges to be met. However, domestic stability, combined with the government’s commitment to major development projects and sustained focus on economic diversification, indicate a positive overall outlook for the country moving forward.