Economic updates
Our in-depth, independent reports cover the macroeconomic environment, the Saudi government’s annual budget, and Saudi Arabia’s monetary and financial developments, labor market, and inflation.
2018 Saudi Fiscal Budget
Budget reportThe government continues to support the economy through the largest ever budgeted expenditure of SR978 billion in 2018, compared with 2017s budget of SR890 billion. Based on revenues of SR783 billion, the government is budgeting for a slightly lower year-on-year deficit at SR195 billion, compared to our forecast of SR220 billion.
Shale Oil 2.0
Oil market reportThe recently observed uptick in oil prices has given many US shale oil producers the opportunity to expand production. Latest forecasts from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) see US oil production rising by 10 percent year-on-year in 2017, and 3.3 percent in 2018. Nevertheless, shale oil exploration and production (E&P) companies face a number of potential ‘bumps in road that could hinder their progress and recovery in the near-to-medium term. Besides higher borrowing costs, shale oil producers also face the possibility of constrained capacity leading to inflated operating costs. One area where costs are likely to rise is related to oilfield services, which includes the cost of rigs, equipment and personnel.
