ABSTRACT
Oil-rich, arid, and Islamic. That about sums up most outsiders’ impressions of this vast and varied region that stretches from the Atlantic coast of Morocco to the Persian Gulf, from the mountains of Turkey and Iran to the desert sands of the Arabian Peninsula. Its diversity spans two major sects of Islam as well as Christianity and Judaism, many distinct ethnic groups, and profound cultural and political differences from country to country. Yet other than the occasional story about terrorism or a new provocation by Iraq, most Western media attention to this region focuses on the conflict between Israel and its neighbors. That conflict is important because it serves as a barrier to modernization and economic integration, but from the perspective of the coming half century, it is not the most important story to be told about the region, nor is it the issue on which the region’s future will depend.
