Saudi Royal Family Is Still Spending in an Age of Austerity

nytimes.com ^ | 12/27/2016 | NICHOLAS KULISH and MARK MAZZETTI

[rktman]

TANGIER, Morocco — Behind a tall perimeter wall, studded with surveillance cameras and guarded by Moroccan soldiers, a sprawling new palace for King Salman of Saudi Arabia rose on the Atlantic coast here last summer.

Even as the Saudi government canceled a quarter of a trillion dollars’ worth of projects back home as part of a fiscal austerity program, workers hustled to finish bright blue landing pads for helicopters at the vacation compound and to erect a tent the size of a circus big-top where the king could feast and entertain his enormous retinue.

The royal family’s fortune derives from the reserves of petroleum discovered during the reign of Salman’s father, King Abdulaziz ibn Saud, more than 75 years ago. The sale of oil provides billions of dollars in annual allowances, public-sector sinecures and perks for royals, the wealthiest of whom own French chateaus and Saudi palaces, stash money in Swiss bank accounts, wear couture dresses under their abayas and frolic on some of the world’s biggest yachts out of sight of commoners.

[Noamie]

“I guess you haven’t had the chance to read the plethora of anti-Muslim screeds here. SUCH a clever call sign. I guess it describes the friendships you have...NOT. OR maybe you CAN’T make friends, amis ou amies.”Silliness”?? Hmmmm. I guess logic isn’t your forte.”

I think that you can do better than this...

Try again, but this time let the anger really take over.

I’ll wait. Take your time with it.

Express yourself without holding back this time.

[cloudmountain]

I guess you have never BEEN to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. You COULDN'T go unless you were/are invited. You are speaking about the "Wahabi" country of Saudi Arabia from 100 years ago. It certainly WAS that way. However, the petroleum and natural gas business have changed the Kingdom beyond recognition...and probably irrevocably.

THOUSANDS of Americans STILL live and work there since the country doesn't produce the engineers that it needs to do the drilling and refining needed.
American oil workers have been making TONS of money in the KSA since the founding of ARAMCO in the 1920's. The "28-28" American men work THERE, off/on shore for 28 days, then get to go home (usually Texas) for 28 days.

The IRS gives Americans working in the Kingdom for Saudi Aramco a deal: NO FEDERAL INCOME TAX ON THE FIRST $80,000.00 made. Now THAT is a carrot!

And, the Saudis DO trade with Israel. They always have. When Lebanon's civil war HALTED all trade from there, Israel was THERE to fill the vacuum and ready to trade. They ALWAYS did because business people WILL continue to work with each other across borders REGARDLESS of political realities.
It's always been that way in the middle east.
We COULD have traveled to and from Israel--NO PROBLEM. Both countries DEAL with each other. They always have and probably always will.
THAT is the middle east way of life: LEARN TO DEAL with each other.

Since the USA is MOST dependent on Saudi petroleum and natural gas, the two countries continue to work together as partners.
In fact, ARAMCO used to BURN OFF the natural gas that always comes up WITH the petroleum. Then, some bright petroleum engineer decided that the natural gas COULD be collected, liquified, bottled and exported. Thus the FIRST lng (liquified natural gas) plant began in the early 1980's. More petrodollars!

**TRUE STORY: We couldn't get COCA COLA there because there was a COCA COLA bottling plant in Israel. So Israel produced "Kaki-Kola." It WAS Coca Cola.
EVERYONE was happy.
*The Israelis sold their "Muslim" Coca Cola to the Saudis under the name of "Kaki-Kola."
*The Americans in Saudi Arabia got to drink their beloved Coca Cola.
*The Saudi politicians were happy because there was NO Coca Cola in the kingdom.

**And the American media were DELIGHTED to bash the Kingdom yet again. Then, they all got into their gas guzzlers and drove home with refined Saudi gasoline.

You really can't be blamed for your attitude. It's the only attitude you will read about or hear on our media.

The five years there made me REALLY appreciate this wonderful, God-blessed country.

Oh, and by the way, there ARE Christian holy men there too. I went to 9:00 A.M. Mass in Ras Tanura on Sundays, a work day. My Muslim boss had told me: "God is number one. There is always time for God. "cloudmountain" can go to pray whenever she wants to."
My Catholic Indian co-worker said that I should go to Mass only on Fridays when the rest of the Christians went to their once-a-week service. Since Catholics have DAILY Mass I could go on Sundays, a work day over there.

Anyway, since non-Muslim holy men are FORBIDDEN in the Kingdom, the Saudi government merely RENAMED them "special teachers." Our "special teacher" priest was a Dominican. I continue to go to daily Mass here at home.
There WAS only ONE Protestant minister, a Lutheran minister and his lovely wife, and he ministered to all other Christian denominations.
There was also an English vicar, but only one since there were so few Anglicans in the Kingdom.

Pax tibi.

[cloudmountain]

PAX TIBI!

[cloudmountain]

It ultimately will not end up well for the Saudi royals.

Saudi royals have offed each other ever since there have been Saudi royals. They are all very similar too as first-cousin marriages in that country are the norm.
The royal family has congenital heart problems because of it.

You can also know them by their eyes. With EVERY king, one eye is looking north and the other one looks east, then west, then who knows. THAT is another VERY visual sign of first-cousin marriages.

[cloudmountain]

Most places the Catholic church has shut down their convents. They have to live somewhere. The Church decided it was cheaper to pay us for a 3 bedroom house to house the nuns than for the nuns to pay rent elsewhere. We had 2 houses that housed 6 nuns. It was a trial run and a booming success but the power brokers up north shut the project down. ;(

Now you wouldn't recognize a nun as they dress like everyone else, usually.
They HAVE gone the way of the dodo, haven't they?

[Lurkinanloomin]

You were lucky to return with your head still attached.
It is a backwards place that practices 7th century justice.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Inbreeding is only part of the problem with Islam.
Admire them all you want, someday they intend to kill you and everyone like you.

[Lurkinanloomin]

since non-Muslim holy men are FORBIDDEN in the Kingdom
*************************

Such a wonderful country.

Read Hatred’s Kingdom by Dore Gold

[Rebelbase]

The Saudi Royal family has been preparing to live a luxury life in exile for decades.

[cloudmountain]

You were lucky to return with your head still attached. It is a backwards place that practices 7th century justice.

==============================================

Well, that shows ME how much you know about it. TENS OF THOUSANDS of Americans have lived and worked there since the 1920's. They are STILL THERE, in the THOUSANDS, Lal, living, working and making a ton of dough.
And, of course, you have never been there but know ALL ABOUT it.

We traveled to Syria, Egypt, Jordan, India, Kenya, Singapor, China...all over to the places we knew we wouldn't visit once we got home.
But, I'm POSITIVE that you know ALL about those places as well, never having stepped foot into any of them, getting the sum total of your information from THE WEB.

That's okay. You are POSITIVE about it.

FYI, they can't practice 7th century justice because they are now in the real 21st century world and MUST deal with everyone on the planet. THEY are more with the modern times that you are...as YOU seem to have 7th century justice locked into your mind.

I do feel sorry for you and will pray for you.
By the way, there was NO luck involved. We had a thorough orientation and knew EXACTLY what to do and what not to do. We listened and learned. It IS their country and they can have their own laws.
We were ALWAYS allowed to leave exactly when we wanted to. We were welcome to stay if we followed the law. It's not rocket science.
Some Americans were simply STUPID and did what they were told NOT to do. They tried to smuggle in drugs, mostly marijuana, and got caught. STUPID. No luck there either...just plain ordinary STUPIDITY.

We made a TON of money, bought a beautiful home, had it paid off in nine years [even though we were only there five years] and never had to ever worry about money again. We traveled everywhere we wanted to and after five years we KNEW that it was time to come home.

One thing: both my husband and I knew that one time there (for five years) was enough for us. I often felt like clicking my heels, a la Dorothy in the WIZARD OF OZ, and saying "There's no place like home." There is NO better place on the planet than RIGHT here in the U.S.A.!!!

PAX TIBI.

[Thibodeaux]

Free Republic Dogma needs no truth.
It is Free Republic, it is dogma,
therefore it is truth

QED

[cloudmountain]

Free Republic Dogma needs no truth. It is Free Republic, it is dogma, therefore it is truth QED

You said it,
Q = quintessential
E = ever-lovin'
D = dogmatist.

[Lurkinanloomin]

THEY are more with the modern times that you are...
*********************

Let me know when there is a church built there.

[cloudmountain]

Let me know when there is a church built there.

Lol.
For the 100th time, there will be no churches there but you MIGHT be too stupid weak-minded to figure that one out.
There ARE Catholic priests, English vicars and ministers in Saudi Arabia.
To get Americans to go there they HAD to provide our Christian holy men.
NO CHURCHES THERE.
Can you remember that tiny detail?
That doesn't mean that there aren't any Christian men of the cloth there.

Maybe you aren't educated enough in your own faith to know that a church does not a Christian make.
If you would use the brains that God gave you...you MIGHT know that in combat priests will hold Mass at the Front, only a few miles from battle, without a CHURCH in sight.
They will hear confessions and give last rites to soldiers ALL WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF A church.

You are church-obsessed yet DON'T know that a "church" is just a BUILDING. JUST A BUILDING.

A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.
A church is just a building.

PAX TIBI.

[punchamullah]

Soekarno, the first President of Indonesia, played off the Chinese and Russians against the Yanks during the ‘50s and ‘60s. The Chinese had the advantage and were instrumental in establishing and supporting the PKI (Partai Komunis Indonesia), which by 1965 had become very influential.

When Soeharto gave Soekarno the heave-ho in ‘65 the new and strongly anti-communist gubmint banned all things Chinese, including personal names, Chinese dialects and characters, and the teaching of Chinese history and culture. Buddhism was still allowed, as Soeharto understood that he badly needed the few Indonesian Chinese that there were. Hence the thing with the names.

To this day there are occasional problems that pop up due the ban on Chinese names. For example, the only name my son-in-law ever knew himself by was Hendri Susanto. But when he first applied for a passport, he found that the only birth certificate that he held was in the name Pooh Han Gie (a rather unfortunate name). It cost him a lot of effort and money to get that straightened out.

Indonesia is by no means ungovernable, indeed I am often amazed at how well the govt manages to keep things going despite the obstacles. It may be that the citizens know better than to expect much from their government, and therefore tend to look after themselves and their neighbours.

[PapaBear3625]

The Saudis have some issues, which are growing larger every year.

Their royals have a high birth rate (having multiple wives and many children) and each of their children has an expectation of enjoying the same standard of living as their father had.

The Saudi government also has to fund a massive welfare program for Saudi citizens (they have to import people to do the actual work).

The Saudis need a certain minimum level of oil revenue to avoid civil unrest. I don’t think things will hold together for many more years.

[cloudmountain]

Soekarno, the first President of Indonesia, played off the Chinese and Russians against the Yanks during the ‘50s and ‘60s. The Chinese had the advantage and were instrumental in establishing and supporting the PKI (Partai Komunis Indonesia), which by 1965 had become very influential.
When Soeharto gave Soekarno the heave-ho in ‘65 the new and strongly anti-communist gubmint banned all things Chinese, including personal names, Chinese dialects and characters, and the teaching of Chinese history and culture. Buddhism was still allowed, as Soeharto understood that he badly needed the few Indonesian Chinese that there were. Hence the thing with the names.
To this day there are occasional problems that pop up due the ban on Chinese names. For example, the only name my son-in-law ever knew himself by was Hendri Susanto. But when he first applied for a passport, he found that the only birth certificate that he held was in the name Pooh Han Gie (a rather unfortunate name). It cost him a lot of effort and money to get that straightened out.
Indonesia is by no means ungovernable, indeed I am often amazed at how well the govt manages to keep things going despite the obstacles. It may be that the citizens know better than to expect much from their government, and therefore tend to look after themselves and their neighbours.

It's not an easy task to govern such a spread-out island nation. Each island MUST be answerable to the capitol...at a moment's notice for WHATEVER may happen: tidal waves, fires, health emergencies, etc.
WE here have states who can and do pick up what the federal government doesn't, and by way of the U.S. Constitution, CANNOT do in case of any emergency or catastrophe.
So, kudos to Indonesia for holding such a spread-out nation together.