This thesis examines Abdelrahman Munif's quintet Cities of Salt and its realist representation of the Arabian Peninsula before and after the advent of oil. It examines the role of oil in the eventual massive transformation of the region's social, historical and economic structure into capitalism. Deploying a Lukácsian categories attuned to literary and historical development, this thesis offers a materialist analysis of Munif's quintet from the vantage point of socioeconomics, providing a fuller understanding of how Munif perceives the transition. It asks fundamental questions regarding the relationship between literary production, oil, and global capitalism. By delineating what can be described as an "aesthetics of the oppressed," this study offers a unique perspective on crucial issues such as social inequality, environmental degradation, labour exploitation, female exclusion, urban deprivation and religious ideology.