Saudi Arabia’s Hurdles Are Reshaping the Mideast Financial Order (1)

As leaders from Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh competed to pledge trillions of dollars for US investments during President Donald Trump’s recent visit to the Middle East, bankers behind the scenes quietly agreed: Saudi Arabia isn’t the draw it once was.

Especially when compared with the heft of the United Arab Emirates and the rising ambitions of Qatar, the constraints facing Saudi Arabia are increasingly biting and prompting a rethink among businesses seeking funds or wanting to do deals.

The kingdom’s budget is in deep deficit, it has raised billions of dollars through bond sales to help fund an economic ...