The document provides information on various Middle Eastern countries. It lists the countries and their key statistics and facts such as GDP, exports, crude oil and natural gas production. It discusses the economies of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Iran, Iraq, and their reliance on oil and gas. It also mentions recent events like the Syrian civil war and impact of sanctions on Iran. Famous cities and tourist sites in the region like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo are highlighted. Cooperation groups in the Gulf like the GCC are also noted.

1. Middle –
East
Countries
•‫ایران‬ ‫اسالمی‬ ‫جمهوری‬

3.  Majority of Western Asia & Egypt - excluding Caucasus
 Largest ethnic group in the Middle East – Arabs
• Turks, Turkomans, Persians, Kurds, Azeris, Copts, Jews
• Assyrians, Maronites, Circassians, Somalis, Armenians, Druze
 Historical origin - Judaism, Christianity, & Islam
 Around the Persian Gulf have large quantities of crude oil
 Strategically, economically, politically, culturally, religiously sensi

4.  Bahrain
 Cyprus
 Egypt
 Iran
 Iraq
 Israel
 Jordan
 Kuwait
 Lebanon
 Northern Cyprus
 Oman
 Palestine
 Qatar
 Saudi Arabia
 Syria
 Turkey
 U.A.E.
 Yemen
Iran
Iraq
Kuw
ait
Saud
i
Arab
ia
Qata
r
UAE

5.  GDP [real] -
• Turkey (US $ 0.794 tn), Saudi Arabia (US $ 0.727 tn),
Iran (US $ 0.548 tn)
 GDP [PPP] -
• Turkey (US $ 1.142 tn), Iran (US $ 1.016 tn), Saudi
Arabia (US $ 0.921 tn)
 GDP per capita [PPP] -
• Qatar (US $ 103,900), UAE (US $ 49,800), Kuwait (US
$ 40,500)
• Israel (US $ 33,900), Saudi Arabia (US $ 31,800)

8. Middle-
East

9.  Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [Monarchy]
 King & Prime Minister – ABDALLAH bin Abd
al-Aziz Al Saud
 Birthplace to Islam, holiest shrines - Mecca &
Medina
 Dry desert – great temperature extremes
 Leverage on shipping – Persian Gulf & Suez
Canal
 Arabs: 90% & Afro-Asian: 10% [Arabic]
[Muslims]

10.  Leader in OPEC, 17 % of world’s proven petroleum reserves
 Petroleum – Budget [80 %]; GDP [45 %]; Exports [90 %]
 King Abdallah University of Science & Technology – Job Training
& Education
 GDP [real] - $ 727.3 bn
 GDP [PPP] - $ 921.7 bn
 GDP per capita [PPP] - $ 31,800
 GDP real growth rate – 6.8 %crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals,
ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda),
cement, fertilizer, plastics, metals, commercial ship repair,
commercial aircraft repair, construction
Currency – Saudi
Riyals [SAR]
1 USD = 3.75 SAR
1 SAR = 16.71 INR
Reserves of FE
& Gold
US $ 656.9 bn

11.  Exports – US $ 395 bn
 Export goods –
• petroleum & its product [90 %]
 Main export partners – US [14.3 %], China [13.7 %], Japan [13.7
%],
S. Korea [9.9 %], India [8.2 %], Singapor
[4.3 %]
 Imports – US $ 136.8 bn
 Import goods –
• machinery & equipments, foodstuffs
• motor vehicles, textiles, chemicals
 Import partners – China [13.5 %], US [13.2 %], S. Korea [6.7 %]
Crude Oil Production – 10 mn
bbl/day [2nd]
Crude Oil Exports – 6.68 mn
bbl/day [1st]
Crude Oil Proved Reserves –
264.6 bn bbl [1st]
Natural Gas Production – 99.23 bn cu
m
Natural Gas Proved Reserves – 8.028
tn cu m [5th]

12. Mecca Madina

13. Capital
Riyadh

14. Attacked and overrun by Iraq on
2nd August 1990
Following several weeks of aerial
bombardment, a `US-led, UN
coalition began a ground assault
on 23 February 1991 - liberated
Kuwait in 4 days
Spent more
than US $ 5 bn to repair oil
infrastructure damaged during
1990-91
Population -
2,695,316
Chief of State
ir SABAH al-Ahmad al - Jabir al-Sabah

15. Middle-
East

16.  Area - 17,818 sq km [158th]
 GDP [real] – US $ 173.4 bn [5.1 %]
 GDP [PPP] – US $ 153.4 bn
 GDP per capita [PPP] – US $ 40,500
 Exports – US $ 121 bn
 Imports – US $ 22.79 bn
 Crude Oil Proved Reserves - 101.5 bn bbl
 Crude Oil Exports - 1.365 mn bbl/day
Kuwaiti Dinar
1 KWD = 3.53 USD
1 KWD = 221.56
INR

17.  Area - 11,586 sq km [166th]
 GDP [real] – US $ 183.4 bn [6.6 %]
 GDP [PPP] – US $ 191 bn
 GDP per capita [PPP] – US $ 103,900 [1st]
 Exports – US $ 133.7 bn
 Crude Oil [PR] – 25 bn bbl [57 yrs]
 Natural Gas [PR] – 25.2 tm cu m [3rd] [13 %]
 Unemployment Rate – 0.5 % [3rd]
 Hamad International Airport – 24 million
Qatari Rials
1 USD = 3.64 QAR
1 QAR = 17.21 INR
Aljazeera News
Network
Assisted Libya
Revolution

18. Middle-
East

19. [1990–91] [1980-88]

20. Persia until 1935
US-Iranian: Iranian students seized
the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 to
1981
US cut off diplomatic relations -
April 1980
During the period 1980-88: Iran –
Iraq war – US Navy and Iranian
military forces
Designated state sponsor of
terrorism & nuclear weapons
ambitions [IAEA]
Remains subject to US, UN, and
EU economic sanctions and
export

21.  GDP [real] – US $ 548.9 bn [- 1.9 %]
 GDP [PPP] – US $ 1.016 tn
 GDP per capita [PPP] – US $ 13,300
 Exports – US $ 65.33 bn; Imports – US $
66.97 bn
 Crude Oil [PR] – 151.2 bn bbl [4th]
 Crude Oil Exports – 1.5 mn bbl/day
 Natural Gas [PR] – 33.07 tm cu m [2nd]
 Unemployment Rate – 15.5 %
Iranian Rials
1 USD = 24,833 IRR
1 INR = 397.86 IRR

22. SADDAM Husayn [2003]
Territorial disputes with Iran -
inconclusive & costly eight year war
[1980-88]
In August 1990, Iraq seized
Kuwait but was expelled by US led,
UN coalition forces during the Gulf
War of 1991
Following Kuwait's liberation, the
UNSC - Iraq to scrap all weapons
of mass destruction
US-led invasion of Iraq in March
2003
US military operations there ended
in

23. Middle-
East

24.  GDP [real] – US $ 212.5 bn [8.4 %]
 GDP [PPP] – US $ 242.5 bn
 GDP per capita [PPP] – US $ 7,200
 Exports – US $ 93.91 bn; Imports – US $
56.89 bn
 Crude Oil [PR] – 143.1 bn bbl [5th]
 Crude Oil Exports – 2.6 mn bbl/day
Iraqi Dinars
1 USD = 1,163 IQD
1 INR = 18.6 IQD

25. KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayya
President
1971 - 6 states - Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman,
Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy,
and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to
form the United Arab Emirates
(UAE)
Joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah
Hit hard in 2008-09 - falling oil
prices, collapsing real estate
prices & the international banking
crisis
Avoided the "Arab Spring" unrest
seen elsewhere in the Middle East
[ ]

26. Middle-
East

27. Country's Free Trade Zones - offering 100%
foreign ownership & zero taxes - helping to
attract foreign investors
Dependence on oil, a large expatriate workforce –
challenges
Open economy - high per capita income - sizable
annual trade surplus
Economic diversification - reduced portion of GDP - oil and
gas output to 25%
Spending - job creation & infrastructure expansion - private
sector involvement

28.  GDP [real] – US $ 358.9 bn [3.9 %]
 GDP [PPP] – US $ 275.8 bn
 GDP per capita [PPP] – US $ 49,800
 Exports – US $ 300.9 bn; Imports – US $
220.3 bn
 Crude Oil [PR] – 97.8 bn bbl [7th]
 Crude Oil Exports – 2.036 mn bbl/day
 Natural Gas [PR] – 6.089 tn bbl [7th]
 Unemployment Rate – 2.4 %
Emirati Dirhams
1 USD = 3.67 AED
1 AED = 17.1 INR
petroleum and
petrochemicals, fishing,
aluminum, cement,
fertilizers, commercial
ship repair, construction
materials, some boat
building, handicrafts,
textiles

29.  Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the
Gulf (CCASG)
 Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia &
UAE
 Among the stated objectives are:
 Similar regulations - religious, finance, trade,
customs
tourism, legislation &
administration
 Establishing scientific research centers

30. Saudi Arabia
18%
Iraq
13%
Kuwait
10%UAE
9%Iran
6%
Other Middle
East
6%
Africa
17%
Western
Hemisphere
17%
Others
4%
India - Crude Oil Imports By
Source [2012]
Source – US
EIA

31. Recent News

32. Economic
sanctions &
IAEA
Syrian civil war
Iran‘ s currency
Yukiya Amano
IAEA’s director general
U.N. atomic watchdog
will start with “easy”
measures and “move
on to more difficult
things” regarding
Iran’s nuclear issues

33. 15 march 2011
An ongoing armed conflict
in Syria between forces
loyal to
the Ba'ath government and
those seeking to oust it
Syrian government - Russia
& Iran while Qatar & Saudi
Arabia transfer weapons to
rebels; chemical weapons
Death toll - 120,000 by
Economic
sanctions & IAEA
Syrian civil
war
Iran‘ s currency

34. Direct result of sanctions
designed to get Iran to
curtail its nuclear program
Barbari - imported wheat -
1,000 rials to about 5,000
rials
Offer the official exchange
rate to importers of a few
select items
Economic
sanctions & IAEA
Syrian civil war
Iran‘ s
currency
crisis

35. Famous Cities

36. Amman
[Jordan]

37. Cairo
[Egypt]

38. Dubai
[UAE]

39. Abu Dhabi
[UAE]

40. Abu Dhabi
[UAE]

41. Riyadh
[Saudi Arabia]
Kuwait City
[Kuwait]

42. Nicosia
[Cyprus]

43. Tourist Sites

44. An ancient town built on a
Mountain slope and
became one of
the wonders of the world
Has attracted millions of
tourists
every year to witness the
progress

45. 1000s of monuments and historical sites as one of UNESCO
world heritage
Offers ancient buildings, traditional markets & 1 of the oldest
mosques in the world

46. Famous castle called Qalat al Bahrain, and is one of the
UNESCO heritage site
Also a number of monuments, museums, a form of modern
architecture describing the progress of Arab culture in the
past

47. Burj Khalifa known as Burj
Dubai
a skyscraper in Dubai, UAE,
tallest man-made structure in
the world
829.8 m (2,722 ft)
21st Sept 2004 - 4th Jan 2010
Adrian Smith [CA] & Bill

48. 2 artificial islands in Dubai, UAE in the
shape of palm trees
Palm Jumeirah & Palm Jebel Ali
Large number of residential, leisure and
entertainment centres
Add 520 kms of non-public beaches to the
city of Dubai
Belgian - Jan De Nul & Dutch - Van Oord

49. Bibliography
 http://www.iaea.org/
 http://www.jodidata.org/
 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/
 http://www.dubai.com/
 http://www.touristlink.com/
 http://www.gcc-sg.org/eng/