Saudi Arabia picks up the pieces

Saudi Arabia faces a variety of challenges emanating from the attacks on its oil installations

The kingdom remains in a state of shock. The unprecedented drone and missile attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities in the early hours of 14 September, which halted about half of the country’s oil output, arguably represent a pivotal moment for the country. “Saudi Arabia today is not the place it was before the attacks,” says an economist in Riyadh, who asks not to be named. “Suddenly we feel vulnerable.” Saudi Arabia has three immediate goals: to replace the damaged oil installations and restore output capacity to its previous level; to beef up its defences to prevent another attack; and to assess the damage to the kingdom’s reputation in the context of the planned Saudi Aramco in