Bridging Worlds: Saudi Arabia and Francoist Spain in Cultural Diplomacy and Political Pragmatism (1939–1975)

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the political and cultural relationship between Saudi Arabia and Francoist Spain from 1939 to 1975, exploring how both states navigated profound ideological divides through diplomatic pragmatism, economic interest, and symbolic cultural diplomacy. While previous scholarship largely emphasizes Spain’s overtures toward the Arab world, this study foregrounds Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic agency—shaped by religious identity, historical memory, and geopolitical calculation. Drawing on diplomatic archives, United Nations records, Saudi media, and Arab intellectual commentary, the research demonstrates how Saudi Arabia strategically engaged a diplomatically marginalized Spain, calibrating symbols and narratives to serve its Cold War interests. By integrating cultural diplomacy with geopolitical strategy, the dissertation challenges economistic and Eurocentric interpretations, recasting Saudi–Spanish relations as a case study of how non-Western powers actively shaped Cold War diplomatic landscapes.