Realm of uncertainty in Saudi Arabia

Rarely has Saudi policy, across all spheres, been less predictable. Its reaction to a spate of terror attacks inside the kingdom may worsen this

Saudi Arabia, once a soothing presence for the world's oil market, is becoming another source of anxiety all on its own. Plans for economic transformation have arrived in recent months with a refreshing air of transparency - and yet offer little real direction, an array of impossible-to-meet targets, and a mishmash of aspirations. The Aramco initial public offering looms over oil policy and confuses the kingdom's messages to the market. Does Saudi Arabia want a higher oil price, so Aramco's value is greater? Is the company instead to keep chasing volume and market share? Or is the kingdom so convinced that the market is fi­nally rebalancing that it thinks Aramco can get both - higher prices