Oil Change: New Energy Security Strategy in Saudi Arabia

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"Energy security" usually refers to preventing the potentially catastrophic intersection of increasing global energy consumption and the inevitable decline in petroleum production. However, the energy sector faces another "natural resource" shortage that is rarely discussed but equally important: trained personnel. According to energy sector experts, the shortage of specially trained personnel severely threatens future innovation and growth in all areas of energy production.

A recent report by Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) states that, compared with demand for engineers, there will be a 10 to 15 percent "people deficit" by 2010. …