Millhouse

I don't think the saudi's will crumble - ok, they are poor, but there are less of them and it's easier to crush them back into line. Probably easier to buy them off a bit too.

Blue Cat

wouldn't they end up being killed if the kicked off?

weescot

I agree - Saudi has the potential to kick off too. There is a lot of frustration and anger at the uneven distribution of the oil wealth.

Millhouse

Jordan just dissolved its Parliament. I guess the King and his beautiful wife are trying to preempt the troubles.

Ethos83

Is this a good time to buy stock in petrol companies?

I can't see the price of oil doing anything but go up especially as long as Egypt remains troubled.

Though, of course, if Saudi does collapse....

soukie

I think the expensively maintained wives in Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan have helped bring this on! Where next?

The Dean

The very generous cradle-to-grave welfare state in the Magic Kingdom should be enough to keep the natives onside........

Bahtatboy

Although I doubt there'll be widespread dissent as elsewhere, there is widespread dissatisfaction. The Government's insistence of foreign enterprises employing 30% Saudis is an attempt to reduce the high unemployment among young Saudis, but that measure alone probably isn't sufficient to eliminate the risk of radicalisation. Plus there are other systemic problems, such as the high cost of land; the unequal distribution of oil wealth and the discriminatory largesse of the royal family means that many find it hard to own a home or live as others do.

Ethos83

What a shit country. A high rate of unemployment among the locals yet they still import millions of cheap labourers from South Asia and the Philippines to scrub their toilets. Something isn't right here.

Victor Meldrew

I worked in the 'British International School Cairo'

80% rich Egyptian offspring. Gamal's wife is an ex-pupil.

They all had multiple passports. Some were 'bought' others obtained by travelling e.g. to US when 8 Months and 28 days pregnant to have the baby there (or Uk, or Ireland or etc etc).

Don't get me wrong, the children were generally very nice, the parents also similar. However their prosperity was obscene compared to the man on the street.

"Where are you going on your summer holidays Nour?"

" we are going to stay in the Dubai Hilton for a week, then our villa in Capri, then our apartment iin Paris, then our apartment in London. We will spend our last 2 weeks in Sharm on our yacht"

Obscene.

alfrombarking

alfrombarking

well

Victor Meldrew

Well what?

alfrombarking

channel4news:

US Ambassador met El Baradei today. Rumour Mubarak gone to Bahrain. Still not confirmed

I guess its almost over

Alexa

What, besides Allahu Akbar, are they saying?