沙特阿拉伯的季度财政赤字翻了一倍多，因为该王国面临着始于八个多月前的美伊战争的财政代价。
Arabia’s quarterly fiscal deficit more than doubled as the kingdom faces the financial toll of the US-Iran war that began more than eight months ago.
国营的《艾赫巴里亚电视台》援引财政部数据报道，政府在第三季度录得840亿里亚尔（约合224亿美元）的预算缺口，较上一季度增长约145%。
The government posted a budget shortfall of 84 billion riyals ($22.4 billion) in the third quarter, up about 145% from the prior period, state-run Al Ekhbariya TV reported, citing the Finance Ministry.
赤字扩大凸显了沙特阿拉伯承受的财政压力，中东冲突扰乱了原油出口——这是该王国最大的单一收入来源——并推高了战时开支。这也与同期3.8%的经济收缩相吻合，收缩主要归因于石油活动低迷。
The higher deficit underscores the fiscal strain Saudi Arabia is under as conflict in the Middle East disrupts exports of crude oil — the kingdom’s single biggest source of earnings — and drives elevated wartime spending. It also dovetails with an economic contraction of 3.8% over the same time period, mostly due to depressed oil activities.
沙特当局在9月将今年预计预算赤字上调至占GDP的4.9%，并表示经济可能收缩3.6%，降幅与2020年新冠疫情高峰期的跌幅相似。
Saudi authorities in September increased their projected budget deficit for this year to 4.9% of GDP and said the economy will probably contract 3.6%, similar to the decline posted at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
这场于2月28日爆发、并有望在未来几周进一步升级的美伊战争，威胁到了沙特基础设施，扰乱了石油产出，并实际上关闭了霍尔木兹海峡——战前大部分石油出口都经由这一波斯湾咽喉要道流出。
The US-Iran war, which broke out on Feb. 28 and threatens to flare up in coming weeks, has threatened Saudi infrastructure, disrupted oil output and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf chokepoint through which most pre-war oil exports flowed.
作为世界最大石油出口国，沙特通过利用一条备用管道将原油输往红海亚恩布港，设法抵消了战争的部分影响。目前其原油出口量处于战争以来的较高水平，并受益于较高的油价。周二，布伦特原油交易价格徘徊在每桶105美元左右。
The world’s largest oil exporter has managed to offset some of the impact of the war by using a backup pipeline to move crude to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. It’s now exporting crude at some of the highest levels of the war and is benefiting from higher oil prices. Brent crude traded around $105 a barrel on Tuesday.
投资银行EFG Hermes宏观经济分析主管穆罕默德·阿布·巴沙表示，如果石油出口持续且布伦特油价维持在该水平附近，该王国在10月和11月有望额外获得80亿美元石油收入。
Should oil exports continue and Brent stay near that level, the kingdom stands to make an additional $8 billion in oil revenue across October and November, according to Mohamed Abu Basha, head of macroeconomic analysis at investment bank EFG Hermes.
与此同时，考虑到预计将需要拨付更多资金用于国防和基础设施以支持经济，该王国已上调了支出预期。
At the same time, the kingdom has increased its forecast for spending amid expectations it will need to direct more money to defense and infrastructure to support the economy.
自第三季度末以来，随着沙特阿拉伯面临来自也门伊朗支持的胡塞武装日益升级的威胁，其支出需求可能只增不减。
Expenditure needs may only have increased since the end of the third quarter as Saudi Arabia has faced escalating threats from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
10月，胡塞武装加大了对首都利雅得的袭击力度，造成十多人死亡，限制了航空出行，并推迟了大型标志性活动。
In October, they stepped up attacks on the capital, Riyadh, killing more than a dozen people, curbing air travel and delaying major showpiece events.
国际货币基金组织表示，沙特阿拉伯的财政缓冲和备用石油出口设施正有助于遏制对经济的损害。该组织仍认为，该王国比其海湾同行更有能力度过这场动荡。
The International Monetary Fund has said Saudi Arabia’s fiscal buffers and backup oil-export facilities are helping curb damage to the economy. It still sees the kingdom as better placed than its Gulf peers to ride out the upheaval.
该王国表示，计划继续在公共和私人市场借贷以填补财政赤字，并称其在调整支出以应对经济和地缘政治变化方面保持灵活性。
The kingdom has said it plans to continue borrowing in public and private markets to plug its fiscal deficit and said it remains flexible in its ability to adjust spending to face economic and geopolitical changes.