According to a ranking based on the volume of explored natural resources per capita, Saudi Arabia ranks first in the world. For every Saudi, there is almost a million dollars in oil, gas and other minerals. This figure is about 12 times higher than in the United States, and leaves other resource giants far behind. China and America, despite their colossal total reserves, due to their large populations, find themselves only in the lower part of the top ten.
The main wealth of the kingdom is oil. Low population densities translate this resource into astronomical per capita numbers. However, in 2026 the situation has changed dramatically. The conflict with Iran and the actual blockage of the Strait of Hormuz forced Saudi Arabia to reduce oil production by two million barrels per day – from ten to about eight million. Some maritime capacities have been stopped and export flows have been blocked.
The Gulf countries are collectively losing more than two billion dollars a day due to the inability to export raw materials. Saudi Arabia accounts for nearly a billion dollars in lost revenue each day. Added to this is the destruction of tens of billions of dollars of infrastructure, rising borrowing costs and shrinking investment opportunities.
Already, the kingdom’s budget is running with a deficit of about 5.3% of GDP, and the external debt has exceeded $150 billion. Investors are demanding a higher risk premium, despite the fact that world oil prices remain high, but the barrels cannot physically leave the region.
Saudi Arabia finds itself in a paradoxical situation: with the world’s largest resources per capita, it is forced to watch as geopolitical conflict turns its wealth into frozen assets. Until it is possible to unblock export routes, even the highest ones oil prices will not help close the growing hole in the budget.
Source: @Metals_Mining
Image generated by a neural network
