## Saudi Arabia: Selected Issues

_IMF Staff Country Reports, October 15, 2015_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Saudi Arabia: Selected Issues](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/saudi-arabia-selected-issues-43343)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/saudi-arabia-selected-issues-43343/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/saudi-arabia-selected-issues-43343/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/saudi-arabia-selected-issues-43343/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Published: October 15, 2015
- Series: IMF Staff Country Reports
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513505077.002

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### Summary and context
- This Selected Issues paper assesses the importance of oil and interest rate spillovers for Saudi Arabia.
- Oil prices have fallen by more than 40 percent since mid-2014.
- The Federal Reserve is expected in the coming months to begin raising its policy rate at the beginning of a gradual tightening cycle.
- Given the importance of oil to the economy and the peg of the riyal to the U.S. dollar, these are two key developments for Saudi Arabia.

### Main findings
- A temporary drop in oil prices would likely have little effect on the economy and banks given the financial cushions that have been built-up.
- A longer-lasting period of low oil prices would have a more significant impact.

### Subjects and keywords
- Subjects: Commodities, Electricity, Energy prices, Fuel prices, Inflation, Labor, Labor markets, Oil prices, Prices
- Keywords: CR, Electricity, energy price, Energy prices, equity price, Fuel prices, Global, government spending, ISCR, Labor markets, NPL ratio, oil price, Oil prices, price, price reform, private sector

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## Content in this bundle

- **Saudi Arabia: Selected Issues, IMF Country Report No. 15/286**
  - [Saudi Arabia: Selected Issues, IMF Country Report No. 15/286 (Markdown version)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/pubs/ft/scr/2015/_cr15286.pdf.md){rel="alternate" type="text/markdown"}
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- **_cr15286a**
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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/saudi-arabia-selected-issues-43343_