Geography and Human Relationships

Geography and Human Relationships

Rivalry and Cooperation at the Heart of Middle Eastern Storms: The Geopolitics of Iranian and Saudi Energy Amidst Regional Climate Crisis and Drought

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
fatemeh saeidi viari 1
Somaie Mahmodicheshmekabod 2
1 faculty of geography
2 Graduate of Shahid Beheshti University
10.22034/gahr.2026.579332.2710
Abstract
Energy geopolitics in the Middle East has traditionally been dominated by the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia over export routes, oil market share, and regional influence. However, this article argues that the climate crisis and migration-inducing droughts have transformed the dynamics of this competition. Transcontinental sand and dust storms, originating from cross-border desiccated basins, have transcended their status as a marginal environmental issue to become a strategic variable redefining the energy calculations of both nations. The objective of this research is to investigate how drought and the climate crisis, as a shared threat, have simultaneously intensified geopolitical competition over scarce water and energy resources, while also creating unspoken opportunities for cooperation in managing dust storms. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, this study gathered information through qualitative analysis of international documents, environmental reports from transnational organizations, and official statements and declared positions of Iran and Saudi Arabia. The findings indicate that drought and dust storms have undermined the water and food security of both countries, increasing the cost of pure competition over energy. The climate crisis has emerged as a leverage point, blurring traditional lines of confrontation and fostering cooperation based on shared urgency, without eradicating the fundamental competition for oil market share and geopolitical influence. Consequently, the entanglement of climate and energy geopolitics in Iran and Saudi Arabia has shaped a pattern of “competition intertwined with emergency cooperation.
Keywords
Energy Geopolitics
Climate Crisis
Drought
Transcontinental Storms
Emergency Cooperation

Subjects

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Geography and Human Relationships
Volume 9, Issue 1 - Serial Number 33
Winter 2026
Pages 443-452

  • Receive Date 19 September 2025
  • Revise Date 20 October 2025
  • Accept Date 27 October 2025