Saudi global dominance: The desert Kingdom is marching from petrodollars to power politics

Riyadh’s balancing act between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing is not indecision, it is deliberate deception. Saudi Arabia is lying low, watching global fault lines deepen, while quietly building its economic and military muscles.

- SAVIO RODRIGUES

In the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, once known for its endless sand dunes and oil wells, stands a Kingdom redefining the contours of global dominance—Saudi Arabia.

Under the stewardship of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the Kingdom has shifted from being an oil-dependent economy to a diversified global powerhouse influencing geopolitics, finance, sports, technology, and even environmental diplomacy. What we are witnessing is not just Saudi Arabia's transformation, it is the making of a new global order where energy is power, and power is purpose.

For decades, Saudi Arabia’s strength was anchored in one thing—oil. The discovery of oil in 1938 turned the desert into a goldmine. Today, Saudi Arabia holds 17% of the world’s proven petroleum reserves and remains the world’s largest oil exporter. But what has changed in the last decade is how the Kingdom wields its energy clout not as a supplier, but as a strategist. Under MBS, Saudi Arabia is using its energy leverage to secure economic alliances, reshape regional security, and reposition itself as the epicentre of the Middle East’s future.

Saudi Arabia’s energy strategy has matured into a geopolitical tool. Through OPEC+—a grouping that includes Russia—the Kingdom has managed to stabilise oil markets and control prices in ways that influence Western economies. Every Saudi decision on production levels now reverberates through Washington, London, and Beijing. When Riyadh decided to maintain voluntary oil production cuts of 1 million barrels per day in 2024, it wasn't just an economic move, it was a statement of independence from Western market dictates.