Iraqi-Saudi Relations in light of the Discussions of the Iraqi Parliament 1945-1955 AD

Abstract

This research examines the discussions of the Iraqi Chamber of Deputies concerning Iraq's foreign policy and its relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the areas in which these relations developed politically, economically, and in matters of security during the period 1945–1955. The temporal framework of the study was set at 1945–1955: the first date marks the end of the Second World War and its impact on issues concerning Saudi Arabia and its relationship with Iraq, while the second date marks the conclusion of the Baghdad Pact between Iraq, Turkey, and a number of regional and international states, and the repercussions of that pact on the nature of Saudi–Iraqi relations. The research relies on the descriptive-analytical historical method. The material of the research is distributed over an introduction, three axes, and a conclusion. The first axis addresses the Chamber of Deputies' discussions of Arab and international issues and the Saudi position on them (1945–1947); the second axis addresses the problems of borders, movement, and trade between Iraq and Saudi Arabia in light of the discussions of the Iraqi Chamber of Deputies (1946–1948); and the third axis discusses Iraq's foreign policy and the Saudi position on it in light of the discussions of the Iraqi Chamber of Deputies (1950–1955). The research draws on a variety of sources, foremost among them the published Iraqi documents preserved in the House of Books and Documents, represented by the minutes of the Iraqi Chamber of Deputies for the years 1945–1955.