Oil, urban development and planning in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia: the case of the Arab American oil company in the 1930's-1970's

Abstract

The Urbanization of Saudi Arabia owes much of its impetus to the exploitation of its massive oil resources. While oil industrialization has influenced the location and growth of the Kingdom's Eastern Province settlements, it has also boosted intensive urban growth outside the oil producing region. This paper focuses on the impact of oil industrialization, in general, and the Arab American Oil Company, in particular, on modern urbanization, urban development, and the resulting urban planning model. The oil company introduced modern (Western) urban planning in the nascent nation-state traditional society. Yet, it espoused an approach of segregated communities with higher standards for its American employees and less for locals. As such, both the oil company and the fledgling nation-state fell short of devising a genuine planning model suited for a traditional society undergoing rapid development.