Rare & important geological map of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A landmark geological wall map of the Arabian Peninsula, compiled through a historic collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco), under the joint sponsorship of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Petroleum and the U.S. Department of State. This monumental work represents the first complete geological survey of Saudi Arabia and its neighbouring regions, including Oman, Yemen, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait. With a scale of 1:2,000,000 and utilizing Lambert’s Conformal Conic Projection, the map meticulously delineates the geological stratification of the Arabian Peninsula. It features comprehensive colour-coded geological formations, extensive textual notations, and detailed topographic profiles extending into the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea. A legend running along both sides provides essential reference data on rock formations, sedimentary layers, and fault lines. The origins of this map can be traced back to 1933, when the Saudi government granted oil concessions to Standard Oil of California. Early geological surveys culminated in the discovery of oil in Dhahran in 1938, marking the beginning of Saudi Arabia’s transformation into a global energy powerhouse. Following World War II, mapping efforts intensified, integrating aerial photography in 1949 to enhance survey accuracy. In 1954, the USGS and Aramco launched a comprehensive geological mapping initiative, leading to the creation of 1:500,000-scale geologic sheets and, ultimately, this authoritative 1963 map, which remains a critical reference in petroleum geology. Issued as part of the USGS Miscellaneous Geological Investigations Series (Map I-270A), this map superseded all previous geological surveys of the region and provided the foundation for subsequent geological reports and assessments, including the 1966 USGS publication "Sedimentary Geology of Saudi Arabia." Significantly, this example remains in its true, original form as a single-sheet map, a rare survival, as most known examples have been dissected and laid on linen. This example is a later printing from 1979, where the Persian Gulf has been renamed the Arabian Gulf.