The study investigated oil, power and conflict with emphasis on resource politics in the Middle East. The Middle East continues to experience persistent and complex conflicts that have proven resistant to conventional solutions, encouraging deeper examination of the underlying sources of instability. While many explanations emphasise ideological, ethnic, and religious divisions, the role of oil as a strategic resource in influencing power relations and sustaining conflict has not been thoroughly explored in a unified and comprehensive manner. The objectives of the study were to examine the evolution of oil politics in the Middle East and analyse the role of oil politics in fuelling conflict in the Middle East. The study adopted the Resource Curse Theory propounded by geographer Richard Auty in 1993. The study adopted a qualitative research design incorporating both descriptive and explanatory designs. Data were obtained from secondary sources such as Academic journals, books, reports from governments and international organisations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations, among others. The study found that the development of oil politics in the Middle East made the region a major arena of global geopolitical rivalry, as oil wealth reinforced government power, promoted authoritarian rule, and enhanced the international influence of Middle Eastern countries. The study concluded that oil has been a major factor in influencing power and conflict in the Middle East, affecting both internal governance and international relations. Countries that control oil resources have been able to strengthen their governments, often supporting authoritarian rule, while also making the region a major focus of global strategic competition. Conflicts, both past and present, from the Arab-Israeli dispute to the wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, among others, demonstrate how oil wealth is closely linked to political rivalries, sectarian divisions, and foreign interventions. The study recommended that governments in the Middle East should strengthen regional cooperation mechanisms to jointly manage oil resources, which can help lower competition and promote more stable production and pricing. Keywords: Oil, Middle East, power, conflict, politics
Chimezie et al. (Sat,) studied this question.