1928. SHIFTING GEARS IN SAUDI ARABIA- Saudi residential consumers received a new rising block tariff that reduced the amount
of very inexpensive water from 50 to 15 cubic meters per month, with prices rising
for each additional 15 cubic meters, to reach $1.50 per cubic meter beyond 50 meters.
Glada Lahn, “Fuel, Food, and Utilities Price Reforms in the GCC: A Wake- up Call
for Business,” research paper (London: Chatham House, June 2016), 16. - “Saudi Arabia’s Water Minister Sacked After Complaints Over Tariffs,” The National,
A p r i l 2 4 , 2 0 1 6 , h t t p : / / w w w. t h e n a t i o n a l. a e / w o r l d / m i d d l e - e a s t / s a u d i - a r a b i a s - w a t e r- m i n i s t e r - s a c k e d - a ft e r - c o m p l a i n t s - o v e r - t a r i ff s.
- Vivian Nereim, “Saudi Arabia Begins Payouts to Buffer Belt- Tightening Blow,”
Bloomberg, December 21, 2017, https: //www .bloomberg .com /news /articles /2017 - 12- 2 1 / s a u d i - a r a b i a - b e g i n s - p a y o u t s - t o - b u ff e r - b e l t - t i g h t e n i n g - b l o w.
- On January 1, 2018, the price of Saudi 91 octane gasoline rose 83 percent from US$0.76
to $1.40 per gallon (US$0.20 to $0.37 per liter; SAR 0.75 to 1.37), and 95 octane rose
127 percent, from US$0.91 to $2.04 per gallon (US$0.24 to $0.54 per liter; SAR 0.90 to
2.04/liter). Rashid Hassan, “Hike in Gasoline Prices Across KSA Will Help in Govt
Plan for Efficient Energy Use: Experts,” Arab News, January 2, 2018, http: //www
. a r a b n e w s. c o m / n o d e / 1 2 1 7 6 5 6 / s a u d i - a r a b i a. - Message posted on Twitter, January 1, 2016, under the name Ali al- Ali (@alialali26).
Translated from Arabic. - Essam al- Zamel, “Removal of Subsidies on Gasoline, Diesel, and Electricity Prices.
Is it in the Interest of the Citizen and the Economy?” Video commentary, YouTube,
January 3, 2016, https: //www .youtube .com /watch ?v=osqSugDwyxA. - Ben Hubbard, “Saudi Arabia Detains Critics as New Crown Prince Consolidates
Power,” New York Times, September 14, 2017, https: //www .nytimes .com /2017 /09 /14
/ w o r l d / m i d d l e e a s t / s a u d i - a r a b i a - c l e r i c s. h t m l ; “ R i g h t s G r o u p s S l a m S a u d i A r r e s t s
of Religious Figures,” Al- Jazeera, September 15, 2017, https: //www .aljazeera .com
/ n e w s / 2 0 1 7 / 0 9 / r i g h t s - g r o u p s - s l a m - s a u d i - a r r e s t s - r e l i g i o u s - fi g u r e s - 1 7 0 9 1 5 1 5 3 1 1 5 7 4 5
.html. - See, for example, Kate Dourian, “Saudi Arabia Warns Domestic Oil Use Growing at
‘Frightening Level,’ ” Platts, November 26, 2012, http: //www .platts .com /RSSFeed
D e t a i l e d N e w s / R S S F e e d / O i l / 7 2 8 4 8 7 7 ; S u m m e r S a i d , “ S a u d i A r a b i a M i n i s t e r W a r n s
Against Energy Waste,” Dow Jones Newswires, November 27, 2012; Summer Said,
“Saudi Arabia Among World’s Least Energy- Efficient Nations— Naimi,” Wall Street
Journal, N o v e m b e r 2 5 , 2 0 1 2 , h t t p : / / o n l i n e. w s j. c o m / a r t i c l e / B T - C O - 2 0 1 2 1 1 2 5 - 7 0 0 6 9 2
.html. Note that Ahmed al- Khateeb, the CEO of a Riyadh investment bank, called
for the elimination of all energy subsidies for all but the poor: “Al- Khateeb: Energy
Subsidies Need Review,” Arab News, February 13, 2013, http: //www .arabnews .com /al- k h a t e e b - e n e r g y - s u b s i d i e s - n e e d - r e v i e w.
- This simple illustrative exercise takes no notice of depletion, population growth,
changes in technology, plateauing of demand for structural reasons, or any of the
myriad factors that affect oil demand and production. - “SEC Set for Split by Year- end,” Middle East Economic Survey 59, no. 36 (September 9,
2016): 7.