The death of rentierism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The premise of this research is to determine when the end of rentierism will occur in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as what actions the government is taking to prepare for it. After compiling population growth, domestic consumption demand, and depreciating oil production into four separate future predictive scenarios, the results are that the end of rentierism will occur between 2022-2033 in Saudi Arabia. Analysis on the social, economic, and political landscapes was conducted to illustrate the current social and economic obligations that the government currently has. Alternatives to petroleum were analyzed, resulting in the finding that there are no viable natural resource alternatives to oil in order to maintain rentierism. The primary obstacles to preparing for the death of rentierism were found to be the extreme dissent within and between the House of Saud and the religious establishment, and the lack of stated goals with timelines and accountability for implementing economic diversification goals.