▁as ▁the ▁other ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ▁states , ▁Lib ya , ▁and ▁Al ger ia . ▁The ▁Middle ▁East , ▁it ▁turned ▁out , ▁possessed ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁easily ▁accessible ▁res erves ▁of ▁cru de ▁oil , ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁comm od ity ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁While ▁western ▁oil ▁companies ▁p ump ed ▁and ▁export ed ▁nearly ▁all ▁of ▁it ▁to ▁fuel ▁the ▁rapidly ▁expand ing ▁autom obile ▁industry ▁among ▁other ▁develop ments , ▁the ▁k ings ▁and ▁em irs ▁of ▁these ▁oil ▁states ▁became ▁imm ens ely ▁rich , ▁allowing ▁them ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁their ▁hold ▁on ▁power ▁and ▁giving ▁them ▁a ▁st ake ▁in ▁pres erving ▁western ▁h eg em ony ▁over ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁A ▁Western ▁dependence ▁on ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁oil ▁and ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁British ▁influence ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁growing ▁American ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁Western ▁oil ▁companies ▁established ▁a ▁domin ance ▁over ▁oil ▁production ▁and ▁extra ction . ▁However , ▁ind igen ous ▁movements ▁towards ▁national izing ▁oil ▁assets , ▁oil ▁sharing , ▁and ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁O PE C ▁ens ured ▁a ▁shift ▁in ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁power ▁towards ▁the ▁Arab ▁oil ▁states . ▁O il ▁wealth ▁also ▁had ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁suff oc ating ▁whatever ▁economic , ▁political , ▁or ▁social ▁reform ▁might ▁have ▁emer ged ▁in ▁the ▁Arab ▁world ▁under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁K em al ist ▁revolution ▁in ▁Turkey . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁ ▁In ▁