Assessing the Role of Oil in Saudi Foreign Policy during the Cold War: An Analysis of Historical Sociology

This study will examine how oil issue affected Saudi foreign policy towards Iran during the Cold War period. Saudi Arabia and Iran, two prominent countries of the Middle East in terms of having rich oil resources, displayed both conflicting and cooperating relations during the Cold War. These relations provide a fertile ground for examining oil impact over relations of two Middle Eastern states having experienced both material and ideological confrontations in the region. In contrast to this complex character of relations, this study will attempt to scrutinize to what extent oil related issues direct foreign policy of Saudi Arabia with special reference to Iran during the Cold War period. The main argument of this study is that oil impact over Saudi foreign policy was shaped by domestic, regional and international structures that were formed in line with oil related issues during the Cold War. This period provides a historical context in understanding later foreign policy issues because both countries experienced a great transformation in social, economic and political sphere and so this study will contend that their bilateral relations were also affected by oil issues. Theoretical framework of this study will be based on historical sociology. This study, therefore, attempts to contribute literature of historical sociology approaching Saudi-Iranian relations from oil issue.