In recent years, the major energy exporting economies of the Gulf have emerged as the most striking growth stories in the Middle East and North Africa region. Yet few of these stories have been as impressive, or as enduring, as Saudi Arabia’s. Today, the country is rightly recognised as one of the most dynamic and resilient economies anywhere in the world.
This position owes as much to the hard work and foresight of the government as it does to the country’s vast energy reserves, which have been employed so effectively. In shoring up the economy during the good times, through a combination of fiscal discipline and prudent financial regulation, the government has left Saudi Arabia better prepared than most to weather the challenges of the future.