page_title: Energy in Saudi Arabia
section_title: Electricity
hierarchical_section_title: Energy in Saudi Arabia / Electricity
caption_attribution_description: English: Near sunset over some of the ubiquitous power lines in the desert near Riyadh
context_page_description: Energy in Saudi Arabia involves petroleum and natural gas production, consumption, and exports, and electricity production. Saudi Arabia is the world's leading oil producer and exporter.
  Saudi Arabia's economy is petroleum-based; oil accounts for 90% of the country's exports and nearly 75% of government revenue.
  The oil industry produces about 45% of Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product, against 40% from the private sector. Saudi Arabia has per capita GDP of $20,700. The economy is still very dependent on oil despite diversification, in particular in the petrochemical sector.
  For many years the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been the world's largest petroleum producer and exporter. In 2011 it pumped about 10.782 million barrels per day of petroleum. While most of this is exported, domestic use is rapidly increasing, primarily for electricity production.
  Saudi Arabia also has the largest, or one of the largest, proven crude oil reserves in the world.
  Saudi Arabia, has one of the largest reserves of natural gas in the Persian Gulf. Proven natural gas reserves are over 7 trillion cubic metres.
context_section_description: Saudi Arabia is the fastest growing electricity consumer in the Middle East, particularly of transportation fuels. In 2005, Saudi Arabia was the world's 15th largest consumer of primary energy, of which over 60 percent was petroleum-based. The remainder was made up of natural gas.
  Two ministries share responsibility for the energy sector: the Ministry of Oil and the Ministry of Water and Electricity. The Ministry of Water was created in 2001 by merging water related sub-departments. Its stated purpose is "to prepare a comprehensive plan to establish water and sewage networks all over the Kingdom. It will also develop the country’s water policies and propose new regulations to preserve water." In 2003, this department was expanded.
caption: Power line in the desert near Riyadh
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