Jim_Krane]_Energy_Kingdoms__Oil_and_Political_Sur

SHIFTING GEARS IN SAUDI ARABIA135

known to jail dissenters. Others chose a more subtle but still effective
technique: They posted the portrait of King Abdullah, the cautious pater-
nalist who had never burdened his people with such policies.
As one of the key architects of the reforms, al- Shehri had dealt often
with such critiques. Reflecting on the progress the kingdom had made
since King Salman’s accession, he offered a diplomatic response. “The
era of King Abdullah was good one. He achieved a lot of development,”
al- Shehri told me during a 2018 meeting in ECRA’s Riyadh office tower.
“The era of King Salman is about sustaining that development— and
preparing for the future.”
Sustainability is the mantra of subsidy reform. If price increases could
go ahead in Saudi Arabia, what about its neighbors? Most of them were
in the same boat. Could they squeeze similar concessions from their
social contracts?