<story><title>Dividend Cripples Saudi Aramco</title><url>https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Huge-Dividend-Cripples-Worlds-Largest-Oil-Company.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>moralestapia</author><text>I can&amp;#x27;t feel bad for them.&lt;p&gt;I lived there for four years (at KAUST), I am deeply familiar with the country and its people. The Saudis are nice and well-intended, but a few bad apples spoil the bunch.&lt;p&gt;I left after my 4yo daughter was kidnapped(!) when I refused to sign some papers regarding my work situation. I am not making this up. The kidnapping was carried away by an Australian professor and a couple American guys working there, but when I tried to look for help I was horrified that this seemed to be business as usual and no one even batted an eye, no jurisdiction. Fortunately, we are safe now and doing better than ever, but, what a story.&lt;p&gt;Until they fix many of these things it will be very hard for them to establish a thriving economy.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>michaelmrose</author><text>From the leaked diplomatic cables.&lt;p&gt;“Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide,”&lt;p&gt;“More needs to be done since Saudi Arabia remains a critical financial support base for al-Qaeda, the Taliban, LeT, and other terrorist groups, including Hamas, which probably raise millions of dollars annually from Saudi sources.”&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#x27;s fertile ground for raising money to support terrorism not because a few bad apples support but because it enjoys broad support. Although data is somewhat scarce a survey in 2003 found that 53% supported Bin Laden for example.&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;icct.nl&amp;#x2F;app&amp;#x2F;uploads&amp;#x2F;2017&amp;#x2F;02&amp;#x2F;ICCT-Schmid-Muslim-Opinion-Polls-Jan2017-1.pdf&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;icct.nl&amp;#x2F;app&amp;#x2F;uploads&amp;#x2F;2017&amp;#x2F;02&amp;#x2F;ICCT-Schmid-Muslim-Opini...&lt;/a&gt; Page 18&lt;p&gt;Which is probably why for example US made weapons have found their way via Saudi Arabia to al-Qaeda and ISIS linked groups.&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.aljazeera.com&amp;#x2F;news&amp;#x2F;2019&amp;#x2F;2&amp;#x2F;5&amp;#x2F;saudi-arabia-uae-gave-us-arms-to-al-qaeda-linked-groups-report&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.aljazeera.com&amp;#x2F;news&amp;#x2F;2019&amp;#x2F;2&amp;#x2F;5&amp;#x2F;saudi-arabia-uae-gav...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Basically the bad apples are in fact somewhere between a majority and a near majority and they control the country.</text></comment>
<story><title>Dividend Cripples Saudi Aramco</title><url>https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Huge-Dividend-Cripples-Worlds-Largest-Oil-Company.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>moralestapia</author><text>I can&amp;#x27;t feel bad for them.&lt;p&gt;I lived there for four years (at KAUST), I am deeply familiar with the country and its people. The Saudis are nice and well-intended, but a few bad apples spoil the bunch.&lt;p&gt;I left after my 4yo daughter was kidnapped(!) when I refused to sign some papers regarding my work situation. I am not making this up. The kidnapping was carried away by an Australian professor and a couple American guys working there, but when I tried to look for help I was horrified that this seemed to be business as usual and no one even batted an eye, no jurisdiction. Fortunately, we are safe now and doing better than ever, but, what a story.&lt;p&gt;Until they fix many of these things it will be very hard for them to establish a thriving economy.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>nathanvanfleet</author><text>I don&amp;#x27;t really get how there is on one hand only a few bad apples but also kidnapping a child is business as usual within their society?</text></comment>