Energy

Saudi Arabia was re-affirming diplomatic relations with key allies in East Asia when King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud embarked on a tour of the region in early 2016, but the itinerary also included talks to cement existing commercial ties while paving the way for new investments and joint ventures (JVs). The Kingdom was also staking out...

Petro-dollars earned from oil exports comprise the majority of Saudi Arabia’s revenues, yet gas is seen as key to diversifying the economy. If the Kingdom is to make the most of the cost opportunity granted to it by oil, it must reduce the amount of oil used to generate power for factories and petrochemicals plants. The medium-term National...

At a time of great change in Saudi Arabia and amidst debates about rapid economic diversification, it is perhaps easy to overlook the fact that even in the most optimistic forecasts of Saudi Vision 2030 – the national development strategy – the oil and gas sector will account for at least half of the country’s exports in the fourth decade of...

On January 4, 2016, with Brent crude valued at $30 per barrel, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud first mentioned the possibility of selling off a small part of the state oil company, Saudi Aramco. Even with global oil prices in the doldrums, his mention of a possible IPO of the firm in a rare interview with The Economist...