The Issue Of Saudi Arabia Essay

Currently Saudi Arabia is one of the leading producers of oil in the world. However, it is losing its foothold on the market. Many countries, like North America, are increasing their oil production and are looking for ways to become less dependent on foreign oil. The increased competition has caused oil prices to decrease. By producing their own oil, countries not only will increase their revenues, but will also reduce their need to rely on foreign oil. By reducing their need foreign an oil a country does not have to worry that their oil supply will be cut off if they go to war.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are two countries that sit on opposite sides of the Sunni/Shiite divide, which can be argued as being the most prominent issue the Middle East faces today. Saudi Arabia is predominantly known to be a Sunni state, while Iran is largely inhabited by Shia Muslims. Both countries aspire to be the hegemonic powers of the region. Ethnically, Iran is known to be a Persian land, unlike Saudi Arabia that is known to be in the heart of the Arab world. These two countries are separated by the Arabian Gulf and throughout the twentieth century and up until today, the relationship between the two countries has been notoriously contentious. Within the past few years especially relationships between the two states have been very fragile with Saudi Arabia ending diplomatic ties early in 2016. The two states are strained over many issues of which are, interpretations of Islam, oil export policy and hegemonic regional leadership.

Several oil-countries have been facing economic and political turbulence as a result of the crash in oil prices, and there is disagreement among OPEC as how to handle the situation. (Krauss) While this is happening, America’s oil production continues to rise, as it inches closer to becoming an energy superpower in production and consumption; and countries that depend on their oil exports face recession.

In a revealing article by George Perry (2001) the author discusses the economic impact that a disruption in the oil supplies would have on world oil prices. He states “Currently 28 percent of the world's crude oil comes from the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) consisting of Arab Muslim nations, some of which are not part of the OPEC cartel. The governing regimes in all these countries are at some risk [due to the war on terrorism].” He goes on to state that in a worst case scenario the economic consequences of oil supply disruption would be “oil prices rise to $161 per barrel driving gasoline price to $4.84 per gallon. The increase in the nation's bill for products of crude oil rises by about 10 percent of GDP, which adds perhaps 15 percent to the inflation rate in the first year. And the recession is the steepest and deepest of the postwar period, with GDP declining nearly 5 percent the first year.”

Saudi Arabia’s fear after the fall of Iran in 1979 is two-fold. In the South Eastern part of the country there was a large Shia population that they feared would take up arms against the current regime. In addition, Saudi Arabia had no military, while Iran had a huge force. From looking at a map, it is evident that Iran and Saudi Arabia are only separated by a few miles. This is one of the major reasons that Saudi Arabia bought the access to nuclear weapons from Pakistan; they would look like more of a threat to Iran. Added U.S. presence brought with it culture that would penetrate the native culture and become intertwined with it. US intervention in Saudi Arabia is crucial in the rise of fast food and the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity there.

According to current estimates, more than 80% of the world's proven oil reserves are located in OPEC Member Countries, with the bulk of OPEC oil reserves in the Middle East, amounting to around 66% of the OPEC total (OPEC Share of World Crude Oil Reserves, 2014). Competition amongst the U.S. and the Middle East has never reached this level before. There is a constant tension between the two countries and refuse to collaborate in dividing the market share equally. Furthermore, as both nations refuse any bipartisan agreement, there is no limiting the production of oil. Each nation is looking to drive out competition by any means. What they don’t realize is if they cooperated and reached an agreement amongst the international community, oil will remain profitable just as it was a few years ago. Though, this is unlikely to happen any time soon, but will eventually cause Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries to take a drastic decision when their main source of capital plummets due to the current price of oil. Profits are no longer seen in the oil industry. The Price of oil has been selling at around $50-$60 per barrel, not enough to cover production cost. The United States is able to withstand any contraction within the oil sector, as their financial portfolio is diversified, not solely reliant on the price of

The enemy at the gate is not Russia, it's the Wahhabi's of Saudi Arabia. Those of us who comprehend the intrecit relations among foreign States, are well aware that Prime Minister Cameron is beating the drum of fear when he mentions the Russian Federation. God forbid, the Russian's exert themselves in Ukraine, and some of the other former Soviet Republics. Never mind the fact that the British and Americans continually interfere in the foreign affairs of sovereign nations, and overthrow democratically elected governments who refuse to serve as puppets to the globalists. Countless examples of this exist, including the overthrow of PM Mossadegh of Iran in 1953, as a direct result of the Iranians nationalizing the oil companies.

At the end of this essay, it is needed to say that Saudi Arabia and United State of America are different in many things such as tourism, social life and the educational process. In short, culture affects our way of living, thinking, and behaving. Also, it controls our relationship with God, family, friends, and the whole society. Saudi Arabia and the United States have two different cultures. Saudis and American have different life style, habits, and behavior. These differences sometimes lead to conflicts, misunderstanding, and misinterpretation. I think people has to be aware of culture differences and try to be more open mind and accept others the way they are. Finally, if you’re not sure how to be polite in someone else’s culture,

Saudi Arabia is currently considered by the United States Government as a firm international trading partner for petroleum despite the multitudinous human rights violations blatantly executed by the despotic regime of the Arab nation. As a result of this trading with Saudi Arabia, the United States are fueling inhumane treatment of not only the foreign enemies of the Saudi state but also the inhumane treatment of Saudi Arabia’s own people domestically. The United States should immediately begin embargoing the undemocratic and oppressive regime of Saudi Arabia to undermine their government’s unjust actions; only by moving away from Saudi oil, is it plausible that the United States will be

Women should have the same rights as men. Women are capable and self-sufficient. In Saudi Arabia, women are being oppressed in every aspect of their lives. They lack educational equality, fair laws, the rights of their personal lives, and equality in the workforce. They deserve the same freedoms and the right to pursue happiness just as much as men.

While it may seem like an indigenous creation, the perception of the Middle East as a source of terrorism and violence in the United States is an archetype imported from historic Europe. The conceptualization of the Middle Eastern ‘terrorist’ is rooted in the time of Sassanid and Byzantine Empire competition. In this era the two empires identified themselves and their people in opposition to one another, beginning a pattern of “othering” and dehumanization that would continue for centuries and remain significant in the formation of Europe and the Middle East region. Later, the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979 and the 1983 Beirut barrack bombing solidified the imported concepts and provided an American context for the Middle Eastern terrorist. These attacks and the subsequent loss of Americans lives finalized the concept of Middle Eastern based terrorism, which was amplified by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In contemporary post 9/11 history the Middle Eastern ‘other’ has become more polarized, violent, and barbaric in comparison to the United States ‘citizen’. State terror and torture have been attributed almost exclusively to the Middle East in popular Western media and society. Yet, state sponsored torture and terrorism is not a tool only utilized by the Middle East, or even most frequently by the Middle East. This paper will explore how the United States government employed torture as a tool of degradation and demoralization in the Baghdadi prison Abu Ghraib during the period

Education remains to be the priority of all nations around the globe. Most countries devote vast resources to guarantee equal education opportunities to all their students. Most education systems are developed to meet the economic and social demands of the country, both locally and globally. As the world’s 8th highest education spender, Saudi Arabia initiates an overhaul on the education system. It is the largest country in the Middle East. The Saudi Arabian education has gone through an astounding transformation. Initially, education was only available to few people who were children of the wealthy families. However, the transformation of the Saudi Education is now offering education to all children regardless of their social status.

Secondly, economic distress is in a state of constant decline proving an uncertain future for Yemen. One quarter of Yemen’s population is on the brink of starvation. Yemen relies heavily on the import of food from other countries, in fact, 90% of the country’s food products get imported into ports that are overrun by the opposing forces. (Economist, 2017) Oil production is one of Yemen’s most valuable resources. With the political standoff and civil war raging there seems to be no end in

The shifting political, security, religious and economic climate in the Middle East has put the region at the top of the U.S. radar. Questions continue to rise regarding what role the Middle East will play on the global stage considering the regions history and stability. According to the Organization of Petroleum Export Companies the Middle East is home to 65% of the worlds oil reserves (opec.org). However, over the last two years the supply and demand for oil has gone down thus resulting in

     In the heart of the Middle East is a country known by many Westerners for its oil production and, often, extremist beliefs of groups within the country. The country is Saudi Arabia, and though it is thought of by many as a rather backward country, Saudi Arabia has a rich history and culture, and it is a country that revolves around Islam and the worship of Allah as the one true God.