Call me jaded, but I suspect that if the Saudis were better at manipulation and intrigue they'd have a lot more influence. As it is, they're deep pocket extremists whose most successful project to date is the Taliban. That particular pigfuck hasn't gone very far since the Americans pulled out. They're also less than a year into a new King. There's also this.

I've received word that Aramco is actually going to be entirely restructured, and that the initial reports of a separation from the Ministry of Oil are oversimplified. From what I know, Aramco is actually going to be split, with downstream operations (refining and processing crude oil into various products) being merged with SABIC (a Saudi commercial behemoth, involved in petrochemicals), and upstream operations (oil exploration and extraction) being rolled entirely into the Ministry of Oil.

By rolling upstream operations entirely into the Ministry of Oil, it gives the ministry total control over oil production and much greater oversight over global oil price trends.

But most important of all, I've received word that Ali Naimi, the current Minister of Oil (and a non-Royal, remember), is going to be replaced by Abdulaziz bin Salman, another of King Salman's sons. This means that, for the first time in Saudi Arabia's history, the country's oil is going to be controlled by a Royal.

Dunno. I've said a few times that Saudi Arabia is basically Texas run by hyper-religious Kardashians. Seems like the new guy wants more bling.

"My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel."

Rashid bin Saeed AL Maktoum, one of the founders of Dubai

If you know that the gig is up, if you know that the die is cast, you might as well bust it out. Not that the Saudis have ever been particularly austere. But if Saudi oil is going to be worth less in the future than it is now, the time to sell is now.