The Role of UK in Development and Promotion of Wahabism

The imperial states do everything they can to enter countries with rich first hand and crude underground resources. They do so under one pretext or another to secure their own best interest. Middle Eastern countries, especially the Arab populated regions, having huge oil resources are not an exception. The UK government's financial and military support of the Wahabi state of Saudi Arabia and Saudi monarchy is a proof of this claim. The UK has been the most important factor responsible for the spread of Wahabism and authority of Saud family in the Arabian Peninsula. The UK's financial backing to bring about and strengthen Wahabi domination in the region can be examined in the context of the physical presence of Britain in Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf coast. It has been there to support and empower the Saud family, confront and overthrow the Ottoman Empire (e.g. the Qatif and Cox contracts), to keep up its military and financial support among the Arabs (elites and Saud family) through spies such as St. John Filby, Edward Lawrence and William Shakespeare.