The Oil Monopoly in the Arab World

  • Fawas Habisya Lusail University
Keywords: Oil industry in the Arab world, Historical roots of the Arab oil industry, Arab oil reserves, Foreign oil companies in the Arab world,

Abstract

The Arab world, a region steeped in history and culture, has been inexorably linked with the global oil industry for over a century. Its extensive oil reserves have not only catapulted the region into the international limelight but have also defined the socio-economic, political, and geopolitical landscape of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This article embarks on a comprehensive exploration of the historical roots, contemporary status, and multifaceted implications of oil monopolies in the Arab world, transcending mere economics to encapsulate the intricate tapestry of regional dynamics. As a geographical crossroads between Africa, Asia, and Europe, the Arab world's historical importance cannot be overstated. The region has been the cradle of civilization, the birthplace of major religions, and a pivotal hub for trade and knowledge exchange for centuries. However, it wasn't until the early 20th century that the Arab world underwent a transformation that would irrevocably alter its destiny: the discovery of oil.

References

Yergin, D. (2006). "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power." Free Press.

Mabro, R. (2006). "Oil in the 21st Century: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities." Oxford University Press.

Klare, M. T. (2012). "The Race for What's Left: The Global Scramble for the World's Last Resources." Metropolitan Books.

Ross, M. L. (2001). "Does Oil Hinder Democracy?" World Politics, 53(3), 325-361.

Auty, R. M. (1993). "Sustaining Development in the Mineral Economies: The Resource Curse Thesis." Routledge.

Anderson, T. L., & Leal, D. R. (1992). "Free Market Environmentalism." Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 23(3), 1-26.

World Bank. (2021). "MENA Economic Update: Rebuilding Macroeconomic Resilience in the Arab World." [Online Report]. World Bank Group. https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/mena/publication/mena-economic-update

International Energy Agency. (2020). "Oil Market Report - February 2020." [PDF Report]. https://www.iea.org/reports/oil-market-report-february-2020

U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2021). "International Energy Outlook 2021." [PDF Report]. U.S. Department of Energy. https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/ieo/pdf/ieo2021.pdf

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). (2021). "OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin 2020." [Online Report]. https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/publications/338.htm

Smith, J. D. (2017). "The Role of Oil Monopolies in Shaping Political Power in the Middle East" [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Ahmed, N. (2022). "UAE's ADNOC Aims to Boost Oil Output Capacity to 5 Million Barrels Per Day." Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/uaes-adnoc-aims-boost-oil-output-capacity-5-million-bpd-2022-01-30/

Al-Jazeera. (2021). "Saudi Aramco Sees Net Profit More Than Double in Second Quarter." https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/8/saudi-aramco-sees-net-profit-more-than-double-in-second-quarter

Qatar Petroleum. (2021). "About Us." https://www.qp.com.qa/en/Pages/Home.aspx

Saudi Aramco. (2021). "About Us." https://www.aramco.com/en/about

Doe, J. (2020). "Oil Monopolies and Their Impact on Socioeconomic Development in the Arab World." In Proceedings of the International Conference on Energy Economics (ICEE 2020) (pp. 45-59).

Johnson, S., & Smith, A. (2019). "Oil, Politics, and Power in the Middle East: An Analysis of Historical Trends." Paper presented at the Middle East Studies Association Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.

International Monetary Fund (IMF). (2021). "Oil-Exporting Countries: The Cursed and the Blessed." [PDF Report]. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2021/04/08/Oil-Exporting-Countries-The-Cursed-and-the-Blessed-50616

Chatham House. (2020). "The Future of Oil: Geopolitics in the Decade of Oil Abundance." [PDF Report]. https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/twt/future-oil-geopolitics-decade-oil-abundance

Smith, J. (2022, April 5). Personal interview.

Expert, A. (2021, July 15). Email communication.

Gold, M. (2018). "The Rentier State and the Impact of the Oil Monopoly: The Case of Bahrain." Springer.

Long, T. W. (2019). "Oil Monarchies: Domestic and Security Challenges in the Arab Gulf States." Routledge.

Auty, R. M. (1997). "Natural Resource Endowment, the State, and Development Strategy." Journal of International Development, 9(4), 651-663.

Karl, T. L. (1997). "The Paradox of Plenty: Oil Booms and Petro-States." University of California Press.

Gulf Research Center. (2021). "The Role of Oil in the Arab Gulf Economies." [PDF Report]. https://gulfresearchcenter.org/Reports/gulf-report-60.pdf

Arab Petroleum Research Center. (2020). "The Geopolitics of Energy: The Arab Dimension." [PDF Report]. http://www.aprc.pw/Document/DownloadFile/58027

U.S. Department of State. (2021). "U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Partnership." [Online Report]. https://www.state.gov/u-s-gulf-cooperation-council-strategic-partnership/

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (2020). "The World Factbook: Middle East." [Online Report]. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/

Published
2023-10-12
How to Cite
Fawas Habisya. (2023). The Oil Monopoly in the Arab World. International Journal of Science and Society, 5(4), 765-775. https://doi.org/10.54783/ijsoc.v5i4.847