The Middle East has experienced a cycle of growth and decline over the past thirty years. The period 1965-1985 represented a time of great economic growth. This growth was facilitated by the drastic increase in oil prices, related to conflicts between Arabs and the State of Israel that culminated in the 1st Oil Shock (1973) and the Islamic Revolution that took place in Iran in 1979. These facts demonstrate that there was no economic development project for these countries, but a favorable economic situation brought about by the increase in the price of a barrel of oil.
Iran and Iraq sought to develop nationalist projects, but their geopolitical interests ended contributing to the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, which resulted in huge structural losses for both the parts. Iraq, in particular, was even more affected by the territorialist pretensions of its former leader Saddam Hussein, which together with the strategies of the United States for the region directed the country towards two major conflicts: the 1st Gulf War (January and February 1991) and the 2nd Gulf War (2003-2011).
As oil currencies grew, most countries in the Middle East had an increase in their revenues. Oil producing states (especially large oil producers like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar) benefited directly in the form of high export earnings values. Likewise, these states had many employment opportunities available as a result of the expanding economies of the Persian Gulf.
On the other hand, there was also an increase in the income gap between countries in the Middle East, which means that, although all countries have As their national wealth increased during this period, in some countries development rates grew substantially faster than those of the country. others. At the upper end, the main producers, especially those from the Gulf that have small populations like Bahrain, UAE United and Oman, were able to achieve real increase in income per person, which can be compared, in some cases, with Western Europe. Still, most countries have their economies focused on the primary sector, with emphasis on low-productivity agriculture. Those who own part of their territories located in areas with a Mediterranean climate, such as Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia, produce typical crops of this climate type, such as olive trees, grapes, dates and citrus.
At the lower end, countries like Jordan and Yemen remained the poorest in the region. Jordan has as an aggravating factor of its social aspects the presence of millions of Palestinian refugees, mainly because of the proximity to the West Bank, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, during the War of the Six Days. Yemen is strategically located, close to the region's main oil tanker route, between the gulfs. from Aden and Oman, representing the Arab nation most susceptible to the influence of the terrorist network Al-Qaeda. Its position on the HDI - Human Development Index - list is 154th, the worst in the Middle East (with the exception of the fragmented Palestinian territories).
Syria and Lebanon also have several economic and social problems, depending on tourism and, in the case of Syria, also on oil production. The actions of Islamic extremist groups, mainly Hezbollah, and the Syrian dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad are elements that have contributed to the depreciation of social standards in these two countries. In 2011, Syria had a popular drive towards the democratization of the country and pressure from rebel groups for the dictator al-Assad to leave the Syrian government sparked a civil war.
Exceptions are represented by Turkey and Israel. Turkey is considered an emerging nation, belonging to the G-20 (group formed by the 19 largest world economies and the European Union) and holds a position privileged geographic location, with the presence of important maritime routes and proximity to Europe, which provides an increase in commercial and tourism. The country is a member of the NATO military bloc (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and has an industrial park based on heavy industry (steel, metallurgy, chemistry, etc.), aiming for a place in the European Union, as part of its territory is located on the European continent.
Israel is an industrialized and developed country, with an emphasis on the aeronautics, armaments and electronics industries. It has a population of 7.5 million inhabitants, spread over an area of approximately 20 thousand km2. Despite being located in an area with dry climates, it is self-sufficient in food supply, due to investments in irrigation projects and water desalination. The main urban-industrial concentrations are located in the capital Tel Aviv and in the port city of Haifa.
Julio César Lázaro da Silva
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Geography from Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP
Master in Human Geography from Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/aspectos-populacao-oriente-medio-contextualizacao-politico-economica.htm