Analysis For hundreds of years before European intervention, the Ottoman Empire had controlled or annexed most of the Arab people. However; few states existed, especially in the Saudi Arabian peninsula, they possessed minimal forms of government and governance, existing in small tribal states. Despite the Ottoman Empire's immense territorial possessions, it began to decline with a series of military defeats starting in the 16th century. Most of their fleet was annihilated with the loss of 210 ships and 30,000 men killed1, and the event is often cited by historians as the "end of Turkish supremacy in the Mediterranean"2 and the turning point of Ottoman conquest and rule . It was only at the end of the 19th century that the Ottoman Empire became the “sick man” of Europe. The dynasty had long suffered from corruption, inflation, and its territorial possessions began to reject Ottoman rule. One area where this is more relevant is the Arabian Peninsula. Following nationalist trends in Europe, and particularly the Ottoman Empire, Arab nationalism grew in the early 20th century. The ideology believed that "nations from Morocco to the Arabian Peninsula were united by their common linguistic, cultural and historical heritage."3 As growing anti-Ottoman sentiment grew, William Knox D'Arcy negotiated an oil concession with Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar of Persia in 1901. Obtained oil prospecting rights in an area consisting mainly of modern Iran6. In 1908, a prospector named Reynolds discovered oil on May 26, 19087. The discovery of oil fields led to the formation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which under British ownership, later became the British Petroleum Company. For 60 years, oil has been a precious and valuable resource, and has become one of Britain's major interests in the Middle East