For the first time the BBC ran and article [once[ on the news criticises what the Saudis are up to in Yemen. This led me to do a little research, it appears that the House of Saud is getting a lot of criticsm. Could this be the start of the fall House of Saud? Still the UK can always give them asylum if needed.
Saudi 'economic bomb': Running out of money
http://awdnews.com/economy/saudi-economic-bomb-running-out-of-money
Saudi Arabia may have to start taxing its people
Now Saudi Arabia can't pay for all those benefits. It ran a deficit of nearly $100 billion last year and expects something similar this year, if not worse.
The International Monetary Fund recently predicted that Saudi Arabia could run out of cash in five years or less if oil stays below $50 a barrel.
If the Saudi Royals start to tax their subjects instead of bribing them. Will their subjects demand a more open form of government?
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Saudi Arabia's horrible execution spree: 30 Saudi citizens put to death for criticizing the king
Amnesty International in the strongest terms condemned the Saudi regime for sending 4 juveniles to gallows, considering the verdicts as a clear violation of international laws and conventions, since the defendants committed the alleged crimes participating in a pro-democracy rally, while under the age of 18.
Then again the charge was participating in a pro-democracy rally.
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Saudi Arabia to legalize Mecca travel for non-Muslims, earn more from Hajj
In an effort to balance the budget Saudi Arabia’s government had already cut spending, sold bonds and tapped foreign reserves to compensate for the negative effect on the economy of the oil price plunge. It is also planning its first sale of
international bonds. Will these bonds pay interest?
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Dutch parliament votes to ban weapon exports to Saudi Arabia
http://awdnews.com/top-news/dutch-parliament-votes-to-ban-weapon-exports-to-saudi-arabia
The Dutch vote effectively seeks to implement a decision in February by the European Parliament, which called on countries in the European Union to impose an arms embargo against Riyadh.
Around 6,000 people have been killed since Saudi-led troops entered the conflict in Yemen last March, almost half of them civilians, according to the United Nations.
I suppose if the Saudis are going broke, they might find out who their friends are?
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Petitioning International Criminal Court: Saudi Arabia must be tried as a war criminal
With help of Yemeni activists, a global petition has been launched to convict Saudi regime in the International Criminal court.
The petition pointed some examples of Saudi Arabia’s crimes against Yemeni civilians, asking the international Criminal Court, to fulfil its duties of addressing crimes of genocide and war crimes and to punish the infanticide Regime.
I wonder if the use of depleted uranium shells and the damage [proven] it does to unborn babies is deemed a war crime? I bet there is no chance of the Yemen's succeeding, but i wish them well.
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Saudi prince orgy party causes $80,000 damage to Hollywood Hills home, "Guests of the Prince were seen urinating on Plaintiff's neighbours' properties": Witnesses
I wonder if he an example of a good Muslim? Mind you it is not new, in Saudi they have a nice dual carriage way that runs from Riyadh to Bahrain so after Friday prayers certain Saudis could drive there easily?
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Saudi foreign minister: His Royal Highness King Salman bin Abdul Aziz shall make a history-making visit to the democratic state of Israel in mid-July; the King wishes to follow in the footsteps of the late president Sadat of Egypt
I wonder if it is a case of my enemies enemy becomes my friend, Or is it; After trying for three years to get rid of Assad and his peace pipeline with Iraq/Iran/Syria. Now with the fall in oil/gas prices and the fact that Saudis are running short of money. The plan is to build a peace pipe line from Saudi, thru Jordan and Israel to the Mediterranean? After all Qatar, Bahrain and other Gulf coalition states must be running short of cash also and need a cheaper means of getting oil/gas to the west?
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Comments
The house of Saud is well protected. First by the UK and then by the US.
There has to be a lot that goes wrong for this protection to be lifted.
The saudis will not run out of money for the forseeable future - it can raise the price of oil any moment it wants to by cutting oil production by as little as 10% (which will have a knock on effect on others too).
Instead right now it is convenient for it to have oil prices low while it bankrupts its competitors, both in the US fracking industry who it wants to teach a lesson, and to Russia which is in competition with its protector, the US.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Yes up to a point the Saud Royal Family is protected by the UK, after all it was the UK that created the House of Saud in the first world war. Then along came the US after the second world war.
But the US's main aim was to keep the Russians out of the Gulf, and the mid-east. Not too mention controling the expansion of Communist Chinese influence in the far east.
Whilst the Russian/Chinese aim is to expand their influence. Then you have local political leaders seeing some advantage for them to play all side against each other. As Kipling called it many years a go "The Great Game."
What we are now seeing is ideologies of Russia, China and the US coming together. Apart from minor dissagreements have agreed th carve up control amongst themselves. Now it is their turn to play local leaders against themselves to suit their aims.
The Chinese are building a new road/rail link between China and Europe. Russia is opening oil/gas pipes between both countries. China as paid and built a pipe to bypass the straights of Homuz. This gives them a secure source of energy, yet they are still pressing on with the building of nuclear power plants. [a westinghouse design built under licence] There is a strong possibility the next generation of future British Nuclear Power Plants. Built and financed by the Chinese.
Saudi oil/gas have now passed their peak production. The Saudi's would dearly love to cut back on production to push up prices, but they need an income to bribe the Saudi people who have got used to a certain standard of living. Part of the reason for the stock market fluctuations is the Saudi, plus others in the Gulf selling shares to cover their deficits.
This can only go on for so long, the time is coming for a House of Saud [maybe not a down fall] but a transfer of Saudi Royals and their assetts to the west. The Saudi citizens left behind will just have to fend for themselves as best they can.
Iran, whilst it as been call a rogue state, it does have oil/gas, as yet they have not reached their peak production levels. Also they have a country that are better able to feed their population than Saudi Arabia. The Gulf Countries have tried Hydroponics [not very successfuly] They have also bought large tracts of land in East Africa to grow crops. But how secure these food supplies would be when push comes to shove.
So we have China being the main production for the worlds goodies. The Russians are improving the production facilities for world goodies and increasing oil/gas supplies to China.
The US is using fracking to improve its energy self sufiency. They are also in a position to feed their populations. Providing a] fracking does not pollute the water tables. b] they can improve their water management fo irrigation.
The EU can feed its population [Just] but the two problems is Europes lack of energy self-sufficiency. We import 40% plus of our energy needs from Russia and the Mid-East. The other problem is the EU's work-force is expensive [compared to Asia] also its population is ageing rapidly. The import of people from around the world to the EU is an attempt to keep both wages costs in check.
But there are two problems there, one] will these people be able to do the work required and accept the wage rates on offer. two] Will the population [original and incomers] acept a much lower standard of liveing that they [original] are used to and [incomers] believed that they would have.
I shall stop now, i am becoming to sound like a conspiracy theorist. Then again i am one of those baby boomers who may not be around when all this happens [might happen]
As for yourself [be you a original or an incomer] as you are obviously in your thirties or less. But what his happening will definitely affect your generation.
Which will be overcrowding, shortage of resources, [be they accommodation, health and education] not to mention a fall in living standards.