Saudi Government Revenues and Expenditures: A Financial Crisis in the Making [Paperback]

Will history repeat itself, leaving Saudi Arabia to face another financial crisis due to drastic overspending and/or a dramatic drop in oil revenue? If the situation remains on its current trajectory, by 2030 government debt due to rising expenditures over revenues will be too overwhelming for the government to cope with.1. Anatomy of the Saudi Economy 2. Government Expenditures (1960-2010) 3. Government Revenues (1960-2010) 4. Forecasting Government Expenditures, Revenues and Gaps (2011-2030)  5. Forecasting Government Expenditures, Revenues and Gaps (2031-2050) 6. Financing the Gaps (2011-2030) and (2031-2050) 7. Are Government Expenditures Sustainable? 8. Is a Financial Crisis Inevitable?

This book, written by a former deputy finance minister and chairman of a diversified financial conglomerate, is destined to become a classic and the basis for assessing the viability of Saudi Arabia's economic policies. The message is urgent. The Kingdom cannot afford to consume as if there is no tomorrow as oil will be depleted and oil prices are likely to decline with increasing production of shale oil and gas and slower growth in oil demand. The rulers should take note of this important book and change course as fast as they can. - Hossein Askari, Professor of International Business and International Affairs, George Washington University, USA

This volume is a welcome and overdue entry into the Saudi Arabian economic literature. Aldukheil's impressive volume asks and expertly answers the key questions surrounding the Kingdom's future economic prospects. The result is fascinating reading for policy experts and international business professionals, not to mention the merely curious. - Robert Looney, Distinguished Professor, Naval Postgraduate School, USA