Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Amir Muhammad bin Salman Al Saud recently proposed the privatization of the national oil company, Aramco. Many analysts’ initial reaction was that Saudi Arabia must be in dire straits if it is even considering—let alone actually implementing—such a policy. However, Prince Muhammad did actually indicate the rationale for such a move: improving the company’s governance. A closer examination of the surprise proposal reveals that it could potentially serve the interests of the Saudi people, especially in light of the relevant experiences of China, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
