Saudi Arabia sees widening budget deficit from inability to export

Saudi Arabia has posted a $33 billion dollar budget deficit amid a drop in oil sales. The kingdom’s budget shortfalls come as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Furthermore, the budget gap is more than double the shortfall posted during the same period last year, and up nearly one-third from the final quarter of 2025. Since the start of the war, the kingdom has relied largely on exports through the Red Sea port of Yanbu via the East-West Pipeline.