Source: Middle East Eye
By Madawi al-Rasheed, who is visiting professor at the Middle East Institute of the London School of Economics. She has written extensively on the Arabian Peninsula, Arab migration, globalisation, religious transnationalism and gender issues. You can follow her on Twitter: @MadawiDr
Since the discovery of oil in the country in the 1930s, Saudi Arabia has been an important hub for western interests in the Middle East region.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz will leave the throne almost a century later. His successor will no doubt see this pivotal role gradually being eroded under a changing global energy market. As the US is no longer dependent on Saudi oil, or that of the Middle East in general, the kingdom’s special relationship with the US will be demoted, leaving the country exposed to regional…
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