The Oil-Based Economies International Research Project. The Case of Iran

In order to activate the cycle of wealth production, promote social justice and eliminate poverty and inequality, developing countries are currently faced with a multiplicity of structural problems. According to some economic theories, this is mainly due to inefficient or lack of access to financial resources, which has proved a major obstacle in activating the cycle of wealth production in such countries. On this assumption, countries with huge oil reserves including Iran, should not encounter obstacles in terms of creating and accelerating the national cycle of wealth production. However, the fact is almost all major oil-producing countries and the main exporters of petroleum products in the world are dealing with serious structural issues in establishing a natural cycle of wealth production and a cycle of wealth and income distribution. In order to examine the dependence of Iran’s economic systems (as one of the major exporters of petroleum products) on oil revenues, the paper shall first present an overview of the energy sector in these countries by expounding on their conditions and features and redefine the issue. Thus, in addition to an overview of Iran’s unique geographical and demographic features and a brief account of its history of oil discovery and its effects on the country’s continuum of social and historical events, the paper is going to elaborate on its oil and gas reserves and resources. In the end, considering the huge effect of petroleum export on Iran’s annual budget and its economy and the country’s necessities and obligations, the paper explains some strategies for reducing the economy’s dependence on oil and gas resources in the future and the main obstacles to implementation of these strategies.