How American energy interests play in our neighbourhood

American oil companies became involved in the Middle East right from the start of the oil industry in the region. A Standard Oil subsidiary, that later became Chevron, gained concessions in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s and first discovered oil in 1938. This led to the formation of a joint Saudi Arabia/Chevron company in 1933, that in 1944 became Aramco: ‘Arabian American Oil Company’.

After WWII the US became increasingly