G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding Non-OECD Member Country Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is ranked lowest among G20 non-OECD member countries due to high levels of fossil fuel support, totaling an annual average of $77 billion between 2017 and 2019. This support is primarily driven by state-owned enterprise (SOE) investments, with Saudi Aramco providing approximately $33 billion annually for oil and gas and the Saudi Electric Company investing $8.2 billion annually in fossil fuel-based power. While the government introduced energy subsidy reforms in 2016 and 2018 under Vision 2030, domestic fuel prices remain significantly below international benchmarks. Transparency remains low regarding direct budgetary transfers and tax expenditures, leading to likely underestimations of total support.

• Saudi Arabia is the lowest-scoring G20 non-OECD member country regarding fossil fuel support, with a total average annual government support of $77 billion from 2017 to 2019. This total comprises $41 billion in SOE investment, $35.4 billion in induced transfers, and $600 million in public finance.
• A significant portion of support is delivered through state-owned enterprises, specifically Saudi Aramco, which provided about $33 billion annually for oil and gas production, and the Saudi Electric Company, which invested $8.2 billion annually in fossil fuel-based power between 2017 and 2019.
• Despite energy subsidy reforms in 2016 and 2018 under the Vision 2030 economic package, domestic prices remain low compared to international benchmarks; in 2018, domestic diesel and gasoline (91 Octane) prices were 18% and 55% of international benchmark prices, respectively.
• Transparency regarding direct budgetary transfers and tax expenditures to the fossil fuel industry is very low, meaning the reported support for fossil fuel-based power and oil and gas exploration, production, refining, and transportation is likely underestimated.
• In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saudi Energy Ministry provided a 30% discount on electricity bills for the agricultural, industrial, and commercial sectors during April and May 2020.

APA

Mostafa, M. (2020). G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding Non-OECD Member Country Saudi Arabia. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/g20-scorecard-saudi-arabia.pdf

Chicago

Mostafa, Mostafa. G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding Non-OECD Member Country Saudi Arabia. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/g20-scorecard-saudi-arabia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mostafa |first1=Mostafa |title=G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding Non-OECD Member Country Saudi Arabia |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/g20-scorecard-saudi-arabia.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mostafa2020g20, author = {Mostafa, Mostafa}, title = {{G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding Non-OECD Member Country Saudi Arabia}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/g20-scorecard-saudi-arabia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }