During the cold war, U.S. strategy was primarily aimed at ensuring that Gulf oil did not fall into hostile hands. Gulf oil was and remains important because of its impact on the global economy. The U.S. exerts significant influence on these countries through control of Gulf oil. Saudi Arabia's light crude is particularly sought after in the market by U.S. industries for sophisticated uses such as production of airplane fuels. Furthermore, money generated from Saudi oil sales to the U.S. often translates into Saudi arms purchases from U.S. weapons dealers.
Oil represents the backbone of the Saudi economy.
Most of this was the result of arms purchases, largely from the United States. The rise of opposition forces within Saudi Arabia is linked to this pattern of arms spending as well as the corrupt practices of the monarchy. To the opposition, U.S. imports of Saudi oil and Washington's role as guarantor of Saudi oil for Europe and Japan reflect U.S. support for the practices of the regime, including suppression of dissent, human rights abuses, and the exclusion of the population from political participation. In this sense, the clandestine Saudi opposition sees the U.S. as a partner to the regime and thus regards U.S. installations as legitimate targets for resistance. For the last decade or so, Gulf monarchies have invested higher percentages of oil profits in land, hotels, real estate, factories, and other enterprises in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and elsewhere.