From Arab Nationalism to OPEC

What accounts for the dramatic rise of Saudi Arabia as a key ally of the United States in the Middle East? Though the answer has a lot to do with oil, a full explanation requires studying the nature of American power in the postwar world. From Arab Nationalism to OPEC reexamines the relationship between Eisenhower and King Sa'ud and the Anglo-American changing of the guard in the Middle East. Nathan J. Citino explores the way the U.S. attempted to use corporate investment as a strategy for appeasing Arab nationalism and securing oil resources vital to waging the Cold War, and the consequences of this policy for relations with both Saudi Arabia and Great Britain, the traditional imperial power in the Gulf. The Arabian-American Oil Company left a deep imprint on Saudi Arabia following the death of its founder, King 'Abd al-'Aziz. His heirs, King Sa'ud and Prince Faysal, pursued clashing visions for the modern Saudi state and battled against Arab nationalist threats at home and abroad. Those threats receded with the birth of OPEC, which in important ways marked the fulfillment of U.S. goals in the Middle East and not, as some have claimed, an end to Western control of Mideast oil. From Arab Nationalism to OPEC provides a framework for understanding the transition from British imperial hegemony to an American capitalist order in the Middle East and the historical antecedents of the leading role of the United States in the Gulf War. Nathan J. Citino received a Ph.D. in history from Ohio State University. He is an assistant professor of history at Colorado State University and serves as an associate editor of Diplomatic History.