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 post-war world. From Arab Nationalism to OPEC re-examines the relationship between Eisenhower and King Sa'ud and the Anglo-American changing of the guard in the Middle East. This book is a post-World War II exploration of how 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 the traditional imperial power in the Gulf, Great Britain. The Arabian-American Oil Company left a deep imprint on the kingdom of 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 fulfilment of U.S. goals in the Middle East and not, as some have claimed, an end to western control of Middle Eastern 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 America's leading role in the Gulf War.