Aramco Cut Its August Oil Price to Asia by $11 — the Biggest Cut Since 2003
Aramco set its August 2026 Arab Light OSP to Asia at $1.50 below the Oman/Dubai average, an $11 cut from July's $9.50 premium and the largest single-month move in Reuters records back to 2003. What an official selling price is, how Arab Light is benchmarked, and whether the cut signals a price war.
One Minister Now Runs Saudi Oil, Gas, Power, Mining and Industry
A royal order of 11 July 2026 made Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Saudi industry minister while he kept the energy portfolio. This is the map of what the combined office now controls: OPEC+ quota policy, Aramco's production instruction, the grid, mining licensing, industrial policy and the civil nuclear file.
OPEC+ Raised August Output by 188,000 Barrels. Several Outlets Reported a Cut.
OPEC+ agreed a 188,000 bpd production increase for August 2026 at its 5 July virtual meeting, the fifth consecutive monthly rise. Several outlets reported it as a cut. This is the correction, the quota-versus-actual gap that makes the increase largely paper barrels, and how to reconcile the conflicting output series.
Saudi Arabia Is Selling Less Oil for More Money. It Is Still Short.
Saudi oil revenue rose 22% year on year in the second quarter of 2026 while crude output fell to 6.70 million barrels a day and oil GDP contracted 24.7%. A quarter-by-quarter decomposition of price, volume and the official selling price differential — and why the offset stops working.
The UAE Left OPEC After 59 Years. Saudi Arabia Lost Its Swing-Producer Leverage.
The UAE ended 59 years of OPEC membership on 1 May 2026 — the largest producer ever to leave. Its June output hit a record 4.1m bpd outside the quota system, while Saudi Arabia holds an allocation it cannot fill. What the exit does to Riyadh's swing-producer leverage, and how to read the contested output numbers.
The $113 Paradox: Saudi Arabia Needs Record Oil Prices to Fund the Plan to Not Need Oil
Saudi Arabia needs $96/barrel to balance its budget and $113 to fund Vision 2030. Analysis of the fiscal arithmetic that doesn't add up.
Oil and Gas
Saudi Arabia's dominant sector, Aramco-led, production and diversification under Vision 2030.
Oil as a Diplomatic Instrument: Production Decisions and Strategic Leverage
Saudi Arabia's use of oil production policy as a geopolitical tool, OPEC decision dynamics, and the strategic calculus behind output.
OPEC and Saudi Arabia's Strategic Role in Global Oil Markets
Comprehensive guide to OPEC, Saudi Arabia's leadership role, production quotas, the OPEC+ alliance, and the Kingdom's pricing power in global energy markets.
Saudi Arabia Oil Exports
Analysis of Saudi Arabia's oil export profile, covering export volumes, key markets, pricing mechanisms, Aramco's role, refining capacity, and the strategic management of the Kingdom's primary revenue source within the Vision 2030 context.
Saudi Arabia OPEC Quota
Analysis of Saudi Arabia's role within OPEC and OPEC+, covering production quotas, spare capacity management, market stabilisation strategy, and the fiscal and geopolitical dimensions of the Kingdom's oil production policy.
Saudi OPEC+ Strategy: Production Coordination and Global Market Influence
Analysis of Saudi Arabia's OPEC+ strategy covering production decisions, market management, and Russia coordination.