Why is all the oil money in Saudi Arabia in the hands of the family and not the country?

Question

...LOL...are your leaders acting like leaders willing to share or are they just selfish people that think god gave it all to them?

Answer 1

Assuming that you are an American who enjoy a taxfree income while working in KSA..................is President George W. Bush offering you the following?

Saudi Arabia has high levels of fiscal freedom, labor freedom, property rights, and monetary freedom. Except for a mandatory Islamic 2.5 percent Zakat charitable contribution, the government imposes no taxes on personal or corporate income. Saudi Arabia's labor market is flexible, as the government imposes few costs on employing or firing workers. Inflation is less than 1 percent, and the government maintains no direct price supports.

Saudi Arabia's nationwide public educational system comprises eight universities, more than 24,000 schools, and a large number of colleges and other educational and training institutions. Open to every citizen, the system provides students with free education, books and health services. Over 25 percent of the annual State budget is for education including vocational training. The Kingdom has also worked on scholarship programs to send students overseas, mainly to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and other nations. Over the past couple of years, thousands of students have been sent to higher-educations programs each year.

Public spending on health is financed from the government budget. An estimated 11 percent of the Government budget is devoted to public spending on health. Public spending accounts for 80 percent of all health spending. As some 75 percent of government revenues are from sales of natural resources (and none of the revenues from the rather limited tax instruments are earmarked specially for the health sector), the health sector financing for Saudi nationals and public sector expats is largely based on oil and gas revenues.

What do you think how all this get finaced? Do you call it selfish when your healthcare is provided for? When education is for free? When you do not have to pay any tax?

Btw: watch out that you are not making more than USD 80K the year. Depending which state you are from, you will have to pay tax back home even without being there!
I know many Americans who would like ti have the same benefits. Just think about healthcare!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do agree with Welle22's comment.

Take care!

Answer 2

Saudi Arabia is a Monarchy, not a democracy. I am an American but live here. I'd like to point out somethings to you that you may not know.
*Government hospitals are all free and the policy is if you cannot receive the treatment you need for what ever reason in kingdom the government will send you out of the country and pay for all expenses,
*not only is a college education free but they actually pay you a living salary while enrolled in school,
*there are no homeless (no kidding, none).
Now take into consideration that Saudi Arabia is barely over 100 years old, does our own government do all of these things for its own citizens? Granted S.A. has it's share of problems, but for such a young country it has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. Social welfare programs (socialized medicine, college educations for all.. ) Saudi Arabia puts it's citizens before Uncle Sam does his.

Answer 3

There are many Arab countries. Saudi Arabia is one of them. Saudi Arabia means a part of arab belongs to House of Saud. So, anything in Saudi Arabia including oil, de facto, belong to Saud family. It depends on how the royal family to spend the money. They can spend it for people welfare or just pour it in Las Vegas.
It's funny name for a country. Can you imagine USA = Bush States of America, UK = United Kingdom of Elizabeth, etc.?
Even Idi Amin didn't change Uganda into "Idi Amin's Uganda".

Answer 4

DEAR ,
not all the oil money in Saudi Arabia is in the hands of the family of the king
but still what they get is too much , way too too too much.
no single person of this family can be compared to Omar Ibn Alkhattab the second khalifa who died as a humble guy.
best of luck

Answer 5

Yes, I also believe this to be true. There are many poor people and beggars in Saudi Arabia ( as in every country in the world) but nobody wants to talk about this. There are also many expat laborers who are not paid at all , paid very poorly, not paid on time, etc.
And actually in most Western countries there is recourse for the above problems but it doesn't always seem to work in the Middle East. I am not slamming the Middle East, yes there is/was a decent lifestyle there for many expats but for others it is just a fight for basic human rights every day that they work and live. Many owe money back home to recruitment agencies and it isn't easy to just leave and go back home.

Answer 6

They are taking some percentage from that oil but the rest to spread it on the country (construction, building, people ....etc)
Yes we have poor people but the majority of the people are ok. Our life standered is high and there is no taxes. We have alot of fancy cars, lexury ...etc.
So, we are happy.

PLEASE before you ask such a question, you have to read or at least have an idea about what you are talking about.

Answer 7

Dear, dear New direction. This question is so fundamental, and so important, and so obvious (its answer is identical to all the questions surrounding the invasion of Iraq and the murder of its former head of state - however much, like blair and bush, of a War Criminal) that I would not dream of attempting to answer it here.

But I shall certainly star it.

(Tisssss: oil and greed immeasurable) oops!

Answer 8

lol................(whispering!!)
Dont talk aloud !! you can finish in jail.....lol

It is in the hands of the royal family, just bcoz of that..bcoz they have the power....and more money.......and more power.It's a wheel.......going round and making them each day richer.
I dunno if was God who gave them all........but for sure the sheikh that join all the desert tribes to form Saudi Arabia, was a smart guy.

EDIT......

h.......it is not a great thing to give the pple health care and free studies. It is the less they can do.
I'm not living in USA.....I'm in a small country in South America........and studies are free for everybody.............even the university. All pple can study any career for free... There are not limits for that.
About healthcare.........is also financed by the government... there are private clinics too, but to use that is pple's choice.
Ahhhhhhhhh.........and I almost forget.... WE HAVENT OIL !!!!
Our economy is not good as in Saudia.....but still can do the same than them with all their oil.
So..........what is the "incredible" thing KSA do for the pple when poorer countries are offering the same to their citizens????

Answer 9

because it is the commandment of Allah. and to the American lady Revan above, I am sure you don't read Arabic because if ou read Saudi Arabic news paper you well be shocked from the rate of crimes in Saudi Arabia and also thousands of homeless and aliens.

Answer 10

They do share and how would you have them do it?Someone has to be in charge to keep the oil pumping.