Saudi Oil Project Brings Skepticism to the Surface

… Khurais, about 90 miles east of Riyadh, the Saudi capital, is one of the planet


To help counter the skeptics, the Saudis flew a contingent of journalists from Jidda, on the Red Sea coast, to Khurais last week. The tour was largely a scripted one, with little opportunity to wander the grounds or verify official claims.

Still, one thing is clear: a gargantuan effort is under way here at the heart of the Arabian desert, with some 20,000 helmet-clad laborers working long shifts in 110-degree heat. What was an empty expanse of rust-colored sand just over two years ago is now a town-size industrial plant. Its basic structures appear to be complete already, including stadium-size storage tanks and a mile-long pipe rack that is four stories tall.