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Want to know how fragile the Saudi regime is? Don’t ask the State Department. Just listen to the whispers in the hallways of the oil majors.
The U.S. energy companies, with a huge presence in Saudi Arabia, are hearing of increasing reports of Saudi unrest and dissident activities. Industry sources said the rising unrest has demoralized many in the royal family who simply don’t know how to respond.
On the streets of Saudi Arabia, the sources said, Westerners are barely tolerated. Indeed, the staffers of the U.S. majors are being told to stay out of sight – particularly during the current Haj pilgrimage.
A bigger concern is in the hallways of power in Riyadh. The sources said that the Saudi leadership appears paralyzed by uncertainty. Major decisions regarding energy and the military are simply being delayed. Morale is dropping.
With tens of billions of dollars invested in Saudi Arabia and plans to invest another $30 billion in new energy projects, the oil majors are looking for answers. At a conference in Houston last week, the future of Saudi Arabia was the buzz of conversation.
A leading expert, Stafford Thomas, author of “The U.S. Intelligence Community,” was not optimistic.
“I don’t know the depth of the dissidence with the existing government in that country, but it’s there,” Thomas, a professor of government from California State University, told the conference. “I don’t know how the government will tackle that problem.”
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WND Staff