What Saudi Arabia's Budget Woes Could Mean For The Region

06:08

December 30, 2015

A Saudi employee fills the tank of his car with petrol at a station on December 28 in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Saudi Arabia said it plans to review the prices of heavily-subsidised power and fuel as part of new measures introduced in the face of low oil prices. (Amer Hilabi/AFP/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia's finance ministry announced this week the country's largest budget deficit in its history: $98 billion. The country's revenues have declined because of falling oil prices.

Here & Now's Robin Young asks Henri Barkey, an expert in the region, what these budget woes mean for Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East.

Guest

Henri Barkey, director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center. He tweets @hbarkey.

This segment aired on December 30, 2015.