Saudi Budget: How Khashoggi murder, oil pinch are eating into its revenues

The pre-budget announcement projected revenue at 978 billion riyals in 2019

As Saudi Arabia’s rulers were finalizing their spending plans for 2019, two dramas were unfolding -- and pulling them in opposite directions.

The budget, due out on Tuesday, is an event that’s gained in importance since the kingdom began a push to reduce its reliance on oil exports. A preliminary version was released in September.

Since then, there’s been an explosion of international outrage over the Oct. 2 murder of columnist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi government agents. That’s led some analysts to speculate that top officials may seek to rally domestic support -- by taking steps to stimulate the