Saudis start to diversify to cut oil dependence

Saudi King Salman on Wednesday said he has ordered economic reforms to diversify sources of income and reduce high dependence on oil following a sharp drop in crude prices.

“Our vision for economic reform is to increase the efficiency of public spending, utilise economic resources and boost returns from state investment,” he said in an address to the Shura Council.

“I have directed the Council of Economic and Development Affairs to devise the necessary plans, policies and programmes to achieve that,” he told the consultative body, without elaborating.

Oil income accounts for more than 90 per cent of public revenues in Saudi Arabia.

The world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia is facing an unprecedented budget crunch as the price of oil has dropped by more than 60 per cent since mid-2014.

At midday Wednesday, benchmark Brent North Sea crude for delivery in February stood at $36.50 a barrel, hovering just above an 11-year low.

The king said Saudi Arabia carried out a large number of mega infrastructure projects and boosted its fiscal reserves in the past several years when oil prices were high.

The size of the fiscal buffers has enabled the kingdom to overcome the consequences from the sharp decline in oil revenues, said the king, adding that development projects have not been affected by the drop.

Saudi Arabia is projected to post a record budget deficit of around $130 billion for this year, the International Monetary Fund says.

The IMF has advised Riyadh to implement reforms, including expanding non-oil revenues, warning that failure to do so would deplete its foreign reserves. The kingdom, which has been pumping around 10.4 million barrels a day, has withdrawn funds from its foreign reserves and also issued bonds to finance the budget deficit.

At the end of October, its reserves fell to $644 billion from $732 billion at the end of last year.

The finance ministry has issued bonds worth $20 billion for the domestic market.

In 2014, Saudi Arabia posted a budget deficit of $17.5 billion, only its second since 2002.

Saudi Arabia’s monarch also said Wednesday that security and economic development remain the country’s top priorities for the coming year as low oil prices keep decreasing the kingdom’s revenue.

In the televised two-minute speech before the advisory Shura Council, King Salman outlined his domestic and foreign policies, which he said are aimed at serving Arab and Islamic causes as well as fighting terrorism.

“The kingdom’s foreign policy adheres to fixed principles, its commitment to international agreements, which defends Arab and Islamic causes, aims to fight terrorism and achieve security and stability in the world,” he said.

Since assuming the throne in January after the death of his half-brother King Abdullah, former defence minister Salman has made security his foremost concern.

Two months into Salman's reign, he launched an offensive into Yemen against Iranian-backed Shiarebels, known as Houthis, who had overran the capital and other cities in the country, forcing the president and the internationally-recognised government to flee for several months to Saudi Arabia. In April, he set a new course for the monarchy's future, recasting the line of succession and naming his nephew, interior minister Mohammed bin Nayef, as his successor.