Mohammed A. Al-Sahlawi

Seawater desalination in Saudi Arabia: economic review and demand projections

The cost of desalinating seawater varies widely from country to country, depending on costs of production, mainly energy and capital. The cost of energy (gas) in a gas-surplus country is simply that of gathering and delivery to the desalination facilities. The cost of capital is similarly variable; it is lowest in a capital surplus country and highest in a capital-short country. Optimal choices of desalination technologies are another factor that determines the economics of desalination. This paper will provide an overview of the economics of desalination with an emphasis on the Saudi experience.

Gasoline demand: The case of Saudi Arabia

This paper specifies a partial adjustment model to estimate the demand for gasoline in Saudi Arabia for the period 1970–1985. It is found that the demand for gasoline is inelastic with respect to price in the short and long run. As compared to other countries, the kingdoms gasoline demand elasticities more closely resemble those of industrial countries.

GCC energy demand outlook to 2000

Abstract Energy production and consumption patterns in the GCC countries are analyzed. Based on this analysis, the demand for energy is estimated econometrically and forecast to 2000, concluding that the GCC has the potential to be a major supplier of oil and gas for many years.

Oil and non‐oil sectors in the Saudi Arabian economy

An empirical study of the sectoral diversification of the Saudi Arabian economy reveals that this economy is fast diversifying into non-oil sector activity. Such a transformation is carrying with it encouraging impacts on productivity growth, economic efficiency and social well-being. There is also found to occur all-round intersectoral linkages in the economy. These two patterns of economic change together define balanced and sustainable development for Saudi Arabia in the years ahead. The policy implications of non-oil sector diversification and intersectoral complementarity and their effects on realizing sustainable self-reliant development are important conclusions of this paper.

The future prospect of world oil supply: depletion of resources or price trends

Several factors are determining the future of world oil supply from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) or the non-OPEC. These factors are mainly related to oil price trends, resources deposits, technology and financial market schemes. This paper will evaluate the future prospect of world oil supply in different regions with respect to recent oil price volatility in light of current financial crisis. The price effects will be analysed in relation to resource endowments, technology and environment movements. An econometric estimation of oil supply is used to forecast world and regional supply up to the year 2015 under different price scenarios. Some policy implications will be drawn.

Energy Security in the EU from GCC Perspective

EU is a political and an economic bloc consisting of 27 member states and subject to further enlargement in the future. It generates more than 30% of the world’s nominal gross domestic product with a population of half a billion and more than

Dynamics of oil inventories

32,000 per capita income (Alsahlawi 2009). Energy policy of the EU reflects recent concerns about the security of energy supply because of increasing dependence on imported fossil fuels. Lately, energy security received a great deal of attention but not as much as climate change.

The Demand for Natural Gas: A Survey of Price and Income Elasticities

Abstract In the oil industry’s early years, inventory movements tended to reflect seasonality of demand. More recently, and fueled by political events over the past two decades, demand has changed to include exceptional inventory movements. Abnormal inventory swings are attributed to several market and exogenous factors causing inventory dynamics influencing market behavior. Tracking this evolution may be useful in assessing likely near-to-mediumterm inventory outlook.