Noha A. Razek

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10294/16225

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    Oil and Non-Oil Determinants of Saudi Arabia’s International Competitiveness: Historical Analysis and Policy Simulations
    (MDPI, 2023-06-02) Hasanov, Fakhri J.; Razek, Noha
    To achieve sustainable economic growth, Saudi Vision 2030’s target is to improve Saudi Arabia’s ranking on the Global Competitiveness Index from 25 in 2015–2016 to within the top 10 by 2030. Saudi Arabia also aims to increase the share of non-oil exports in the non-oil GDP from 16% in 2016 to 50% by 2030. For policymakers to make informed decisions to achieve these goals, they need to understand the driving forces of Saudi Arabia’s competitiveness. To this end, we consider the real effective exchange rate (REER) as a measure of external price competitiveness, as it captures domestic and global price changes. We then examine the REER using a two-stage modeling framework. First, we estimate the REER equation, which allows us to assess the impacts of the determinants and evaluate currency misalignments as a competitiveness indicator. Second, we extend the KAPSARC Global Energy Macroeconometric Model (KGEMM) with the estimated equation, which provides a framework for simulating the competitiveness impacts of the theoretically formulated determinants and other variables relevant to policymakers. The framework also allows us to account for feedback loops. We conduct a policy scenario analysis to quantify the competitiveness effects of the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) new strategy for 2021–2025. We derive the following policy insights. Authorities may wish to implement initiatives boosting future productivity and, thus, competitiveness, such as PIF investments. Policymakers should be regularly informed about currency misalignment. Government consumption and public investment projects should consider substituting imports with locally produced goods and services. Local content development would also help to diversify the Saudi economy. Finally, attracting more foreign investment and other assets from the rest of the world may lead to technological development and improvement in the economic, financial, and social infrastructure and business environment, all enhancing competitiveness.
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    Can U.S. strategic petroleum reserves calm a tight market exacerbated by the Russia–Ukraine conflict?
    (Elsevier BV, 2023-10) Noha Razek; Valentina Galvani; Surya Rajan; Brian McQuinn
    Recent changes in global petroleum markets have driven the debate regarding the use of strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs) as a price management tool during periods marked by extreme price volatility. We examine the price management role of the U.S. SPR under typical market conditions and in extreme emergencies. Furthermore, we discuss the White House's hypotheses that (a) boosted Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) production and releases from the U.S. SPR result in a negative pressure on U.S. gasoline inflation, and (b) crude oil releases from the U.S. SPR helps balance the global oil market. The threshold cointegration results indicate that U.S. SPR releases impact neither OPEC production nor imported input prices. We apply a hybrid open-economy Phillips curve to model gasoline inflation, accounting for backward- and forward-looking price settings, domestic and global slackness, and energy security. We distinguish between normal-, super-, and hyper-backwardation and -contango oil markets using threshold cointegration and regression techniques. Our results demonstrate that SPR releases and OPEC output increases generally decrease inflation, with a crucial exception being the hyper-backwardation market, as seen in 2021–2022. This period was characterized by severely constrained global supply buffers, including OPEC's spare capacity, exacerbated by the Russia–Ukraine conflict. For this period, we conclude that (1) the impact of OPEC production changes on gasoline inflation would be negligible, (2) excess domestic demand relative to domestic supply raises concerns about domestic energy security, and (3) the unprecedentedly large SPR drawdowns are likely to have caused the market to panic and contributed to gasoline price increases, contrary to arguments suggesting that the 2022 releases eased domestic gasoline prices. We conclude that the SPR is an ineffective price control mechanism during crises and may not have the strategic value previously thought in an extremely tight oil market.