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Making The Desert Modern: Americans, Arabs, And Oil On The Saudi Frontier, 1933-1973 (Culture, Politics, And The Cold War)

In 1933 American oilmen representing what later became the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) signed a concession agreement with the Saudi Arabian king granting the company sole proprietorship over the oil reserves in the country's largest province. As drilling commenced and wells proliferated, Aramco soon became a major presence in the region. In this book Chad H. Parker tells Aramco's story, showing how an American company seeking resources and profits not only contributed to Saudi "nation building" but helped define U.S. foreign policy during the early Cold War.In the years following World War II, as Aramco expanded its role in Saudi Arabia, the idea of "modernization" emerged as a central component of American foreign policy toward newly independent states. Although the company engaged in practices supportive of U.S. goals, its own modernizing efforts tended to be pragmatic rather than policy-driven, more consistent with furthering its business interests than with validating abstract theories. Aramco built the infrastructure necessary to extract oil and also carved an American suburb out of the Arabian desert, with all the air-conditioned comforts of Western modern life. At the same time, executives cultivated powerful relationships with Saudi government officials and, to the annoyance of U.S. officials, even served the monarchy in diplomatic disputes. Before long the company became the principal American diplomatic, political, and cultural agent in the country, a role it would continue to play until 1973, when the Saudi government took over its operation.

Series: Culture, Politics, and the Cold War

Paperback: 176 pages

Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press (April 22, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1625341571

ISBN-13: 978-1625341570

Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches

Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

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Best Sellers Rank: #1,652,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #207 in Books > History > Middle East > Saudi Arabia #531 in Books > Business & Money > Processes & Infrastructure > Infrastructure #78988 in Books > History > Americas > United States

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