Recent stories from sustg

• Is Saudi Arabia Too Dependent on Management Consultants and Think Tanks?
  • February 11,2014

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  • John Sfakianakis
   

  During the past ten years, major think tanks and global management consulting firms came to different government agencies and ministries in Saudi Arabia to provide them with recommendations and plans in return for huge wages – in the millions of Riyals. This makes me wonder whether these governmental bodies and ministries are managed by those […]

   
• The 10 Best SPA Photos This Month – January 2014 Edition
  • February 3,2014

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  • Lucien Zeigler
   

  For those that follow Saudi news closely, the state-run Saudi Press Agency is a valuable resource. Similar to the press offices of U.S. and other government offices and ministries around the world, the SPA is updated daily, and features local, national and international news from the official feed on its website in Arabic and English.  […]

   
• Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Export Figures are Just Numbers on Paper
  • February 3,2014

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  • John Sfakianakis
   

  During the past few weeks, we have heard in statements from Saudi officials that Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports are increasing. In 2013 alone, the value of Saudi oil exports increased by 6.7%, while non-oil exports increased by 2.4%. From 2003 to 2012, total non-oil exports increased from SAR 350 billion to 1.4 trillion.

   
• Opinion: Comprehensive Reform of the Labor Market in Saudi Arabia
  • January 26,2014

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  • John Sfakianakis
   

  Besides energy subsidies and the future of energy consumption at the local level, the labor market is considered one of the key variables with respect to the economic future of the kingdom. The labor market should be an integral part of the thinking of government officials when planning at all levels, without exception. The Ministry of […]

   
• The Reliable Supplier: Saudi Economy Expert Explains Why the Shale Boom in the United States is Actually a Good Thing for Riyadh
  • January 24,2014

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  • Lucien Zeigler
   

  In a recent article for Foreign Affairs magazine, Saudi economy expert and investment banker Dr. John Sfakianakis writes that while it may be easy to think that the shale boom in the United States is threatening to the world’s largest oil producer in Saudi Arabia, there are several reasons that more production from the United […]

   
• On Saudi Employment, The Numbers Do Not Lie
  • January 5,2014

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  • John Sfakianakis
   

  During the past few weeks the public’s attention has been focused on the labor market, and much has been said about providing jobs for Saudis. There is no doubt that jobs have been created in the past few years, but some figures announced in the media are exaggerated.

   
• For Saudi Arabia, Change in Fiscal Policy Should Come Sooner than Later
  • December 28,2013

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  • John Sfakianakis
   

  Each year brings the announcement of a new historic budget for Saudi Arabia with an increase in spending higher than its predecessor. In fact, there is nothing permanent in the economy, and there is nothing permanent in government spending. For Saudi Arabia, government spending depends on oil prices, and the continued expansion of the budget is […]

   
• Restructuring Higher Education in Saudi Arabia
  • December 23,2013

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  • John Sfakianakis
   

  Education in Saudi Arabia is still not sufficient to match the requirements of the labor market, especially for the Saudi private sector. Graduates need the right skills as required by the labor market, and those without these skills who focus on more general social sciences will be at a disadvantage. The answer is not more […]

   
• Several Prominent Saudi Voices Continue to Express Discontent with Western Policies toward Iran, Syria
  • December 18,2013

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  • Lucien Zeigler
   

  In a hard-hitting New York Times op-ed, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud wrote that while the Western-Saudi relationship friendship has lasted for decades, Saudi Arabia will pursue its own interests in the Middle East, even if they diverge from those of the Western powers.

   
• Fahad Nazer: You should go see ‘Wadjda’; but for greater insight into Saudi Arabia don’t miss these BBC documentaries
  • December 16,2013

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  • Fahad Nazer
   

  2013 will be remembered as a seminal year in the history of Saudi filmmaking. Haifaa Al Mansour’s “Wadjda” – the first feature length film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and directed by a Saudi woman – has received critical acclaim and has even generated Oscar buzz as a possible nominee for best foreign language film. […]

   
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