The impact of oil price volatility on welfare in the kingdom of saudi arabia: Implications for public investment decision-making

Abstract

Since real oil price is positively correlated with real consumption and domesticincome in Saudi Arabia, a risk premium needs to be considered when assessingthe net present value of oil-related public investment projects. For projects generatingadditional oil exports, this risk premium quantifies the cost of increaseddependence on oil revenues. For projects transforming oil into products whoseprices are less correlated with the Saudi economy, it quantifies the benefit fromreducing the aggregate risk. The value of this risk premium depends on expectationsabout future consumption and oil price. By considering alternative assumptions,we show that over a one-year horizon this risk premium could rangebetween 1.3% and 5% of the expected oil-related cash flow, with higher premiafor longer planning horizons. We discuss the implications of these calculationsfor energy-related public projects in Saudi Arabia and, more generally, for publicdecision-making in resource-rich countries. © 2014 by the IAEE. All rights reserved.