65,026 views
43 votes
43 votes
Why Saudi Arabia is an unlikely ally of the USA?

User Mikalai Parafeniuk
by
2.9k points

1 Answer

17 votes
17 votes

Answer:

Step-by-step explanation:

When Saudi Arabia executed 47 people, including dissident Shia cleric Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, seemingly in a deliberate effort to inflame tensions

began in 1933, centering on oil exploration

America to turn a blind eye to Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses and a theocratic, authoritarian system that would seem so opposed to American values.

There's no doubt that it began with oil. In 1933, the Saudi monarchy granted the American company Standard Oil exclusive rights to look for oil in the country's eastern province. In 1938, the joint US-Saudi venture, eventually called ARAMCO, found truly staggering reserves. The US government wanted to protect its companies' investment, especially when America was in dire need of crude during World War II.

User Gotschi
by
2.3k points