Advantages Of Porter's Diamond

Currently Saudi Arabia is one of the leading producers of oil in the world. However, it is losing its foothold on the market. Many countries, like North America, are increasing their oil production and are looking for ways to become less dependent on foreign oil. The increased competition has caused oil prices to decrease. By producing their own oil, countries not only will increase their revenues, but will also reduce their need to rely on foreign oil. By reducing their need foreign an oil a country does not have to worry that their oil supply will be cut off if they go to war.

The Gulf houses half of the world’s oil reserves and a third of the natural gas. The Gulf States still continue to supply the international markets with a significant amount of the hydrocarbons. The stability of the region is crucial for the stability in the global oil markets. The Gulf also hosts one of the most strategically and important choke points in global trade, The Straits of Hormuz, which moves about 35% of the global seaborne oil, natural gas and other trade goods.

In addition, the internationalisation is the strategy to occupy the foreign market step by step. Also, the porter’s competitive advantages theory is to analysis the strategies of global business. They could divide to three strategies: over cost leading, diversity, and market focus strategy (Passemard& Calantone, 2000). The cost leading strategy focus on establish efficient scale production facility and minimize the research and advertising cost. The diversity strategy focus on introduce some unique product in whole industry. But, this strategy will with a high cost price. The focus strategy is attack of a particular customer group or specialist regional market, its purpose to design the service for a particular target. Consequently, the companies need to consider the internal and external factor condition, such as: factor condition, demand condition, related and supporting industries condition, and firm strategy and rivalry. They are called diamond system. This dynamic system gives the company a standard to measure theirs advantage and disadvantage before they enter foreign market. Moreover, the specific advantage in Internationalisation of Production is give companies a new choose for exhausted market (Strange,S. 1992). In an international environment, the companies will face more uncertain and unequal condition than home market, therefore the companies need keep the attention of more factors:

Until 1973, Saudi Arabia barely participated in international trade, however, during the oil crisis, Saudi Arabia’s economy grew rapidly because of their huge oil reserves (second largest in the world), and their ability to produce far more barrels than any other country. Saudi Arabia is the largest producer and exporter of oil in the world, and produce over 11.5 million barrels a day, over 7.5 million barrels a day more than Canada, at far less of a cost. Canada and Saudi Arabia are allies and benefit from each other. Canada and Saudi Arabia’s trade totals more than $3 Billion, and their market is so big because of Canada’s sanctions on Iran, another oil superpower. Saudi Arabia is Canada’s biggest trading partner in the Middle East. Saudi

The largest world supplier oil company is Saudi Aramco. It is the most profitable company on the earth. Since it is the most powerful oil company, it has a great impact on the world economy. As a result, a strong international relationship was built with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In addition, the strong developing of international relationship with other industrial countries resulted in massive contributions to the politics, economy, and many different aspects. In 1933, Saudi government bestowed oil concession to California Arabian Standard Oil Company (Chevron). The main factor for this grant was to explore the oil in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After discovering a huge amount of oil, part of the

But Firstly, we will start this part by talking about the importance of a deep analysis of the industry’s structure. A deep knowledge of the industry the company is in, is extremely important. The industry structure is unique and varies from industry to industry of course. It will determine the level of competitiveness and attraction of the industry. With the Five Forces model (Porter) and PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, Legal) analysis, the organization will get a better understanding of the market will allow you to know the requirements for the possible creation of sustainable competitive advantages and take the right strategic decisions. According to Porter, to create an efficient competitive strategy, it is important to understand the rules of competition that determine market attractiveness.

The term competitiveness defines the ability of a region to export more than its imports while including all “terms of trade” to reflect government legislation and import barriers. In other words, according to the world competitiveness report, competitiveness is “… the ability to design, produce, and market goods and services, the price and non- price characteristics of which form a more attractive package than those of competitors.” (Pg3.) Each nation has different competitiveness level, which relies on multitude factors such as; raw materials, innovative technologies, energy prices, the type of economy, legislations, and the exchange rate fluctuations. Nevertheless, the prosperity of countries depends on the nation’s competitiveness status.

The De Beers Group of Companies established itself in the diamond industry in the late 1800’s and it was only a matter of time until De Beers owned virtually every diamond mine in South Africa. Diamond distributors joined up with De Beers because of similar interests: they wanted to create a scarcity of diamonds, so that high prices would follow. Eventually, De Beers would establish exclusive contracts with suppliers and buyers, making it impossible to deal with diamonds outside of De Beers. For the remainder of the 20th century, the business model was the same: A subsidiary of De Beers would buy the diamonds and De Beers would determine the amount of diamonds they wanted to sell, and at what prices. In turn, De Beers funneled all of the

The issue and concept addressed in the case study is trade theories such as competitive advantages and also the benefits and costs brought by international trade and its related government policies.

Michael Porter investigated why nations have a competitive advantage in specific industries his findings saw two basic types of competitive advantage that firms could pose low cost or differentiation. If you combine the two types of competitive advantage and allow room for a way in which firm wish to achieve them this will lead to three generic strategies which will achieve higher average performances in industries: cost leadership, differentiation and focus.

The country can maximize their wealth by putting the resources in the most competitive industries. Government created comparative advantage rather than free trade because now easier moves the production processes and the machines into countries that can produce more goods (Yeager & Tuereck, 1984). However, many countries now move to new trade theory suggests the ability firms to limit the number of competitors associated with economic scale (reduction of costs with a large scale of output) (Krugman, 1992). The comparative advantage occurs when two-way trade in identical products, it will useful where economic scale is important, but it will create problem with this model. As a result, government must intervene in international trade for protection to domestic firms (Krugman, 1990)

Saudi Arabia has an economy that is largely dependent on oil, with the government maintaining the biggest control over the country 's significant economic activities. Saudi Arabia owns about 16% of the global oil reserves and is the number one exporter of oil (Saudi Arabia, 2013). In addition, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was instrumental in the formation of the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) group, which initially comprised Iraq, Venezuela, Iran, Kuwait and Venezuela (Energy indicators, 2004). Currently, the petroleum industry constitutes about 80% of the country 's budgetary incomes; about 40% of the country 's GDP and 87% of Saudi 's export earnings. Agriculture, in addition to petroleum products, has been a major contributor to the kingdom’s economy since 1970s (Saudi Arabia, 2013). The country has been able to produce enough agricultural products for their consumption as well as surplus for exportation to the GCC member countries.

In the article “The Competitive Advantage of Nations” Michael Porter describes a diamond shaped relationship of forces that define a country’s potential for being competitive in a specified industry. The four points on the diamond representing the different forces are: factor conditions; demand conditions; firm strategy, structure and rivalry; and related and supporting industries. According to Porter, the four points apply pressure to each other resulting in a national

He also stated that general factors, mainly unskilled labour and raw materials are easy to acquire and cannot lead to sustainable competitive advantage. Specialized factors are difficult to replicate but require significant amount of investment. Certain disadvantage in factors of production compels innovation which often leads to national comparative advantage. Hence Porter (1998) distinguished the basic and advanced factors.

Any country should use porter diamond theory of national advantage. It's designed to help understand the competitive advantage nations. It suggests that the national home base of any organizations are playing a supportive role in shaping the size or scoop to which it is likely to achieve advantage on a global scale. This home base provides basic factors, which support organizations from building advantages in international competition. Porter classifies four determinants: Factor Condition, Diamond Condition, Relatives & supporting and Structure, strategy & Rivalry. Egypt government acts to catalysts to improve Egypt position in a globally competitive economic environment. They found that they can create new factors such as skilled labor and high technology (Porter M., 1990). Porter's diamond model suggests threat there are inherent reasons why some nations are more competitive than others on an international market. Another factor that influence in competitive advantages such as the policies that put by government. One of the most influencer policies is (FDI) Foreign direct investment