The Intra-Arab War for Oil: 1950-1970

Egypt is the largest and most important country of the Arab world. However Egypt is very poor in oil and natural gas reserves, at least when compared to the other Arab countries of the Persian Gulf and North Africa. In the 1950s and 1960s, Gamal Nasser, an Egyptian military officer, tried to unite all Arabs in one country, under his leadership, in order for Egypt to control the oil of the Persian Gulf.

This essay briefly describes Nasser’s efforts in the 50s and 60s, which led to a cold war between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, until Nasser’s death in 1970.