OPEC ministers met in Saudi Arabia this weekend in a setting described by The New York Times as “a conference center that was a gaudy mix of the Palace at Versailles and Greek Revivial style, with some rococo touches. It also displayed the whole range of Saudi extravagance: blue marble floors, gold-plated fixtures and dozens of crystal chandaliers, some bigger than trucks.” The weakened U.S. dollar was blamed for the high price of oil.