Realm of uncertainty in Saudi Arabia
Rarely has Saudi policy, across all spheres, been less predictable. Its reaction to a spate of terror attacks inside the kingdom may worsen this
Saudi Arabia, once a soothing presence for the world's oil market, is becoming another source of anxiety all on its own. Plans for economic transformation have arrived in recent months with a refreshing air of transparency - and yet offer little real direction, an array of impossible-to-meet targets, and a mishmash of aspirations. The Aramco initial public offering looms over oil policy and confuses the kingdom's messages to the market. Does Saudi Arabia want a higher oil price, so Aramco's value is greater? Is the company instead to keep chasing volume and market share? Or is the kingdom so convinced that the market is finally rebalancing that it thinks Aramco can get both - higher prices
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