Soon after the martyrdom of Ismail Haniya, disregarding the fear of retaliation from Iran’s proxies in the Middle East or Iran itself, Israel appears emboldened to the point of daring Iran to launch a punitive strike.

Meanwhile, other countries, fearing an imminent plunge of the Middle East into war, have issued travel advisories to their citizens, urging them to vacate the region, particularly Iran.

The leadership of the US and the West though weep crocodile tears on slaughtering and shredding of innocent children by lethal bombs, airstrikes and sniper fires, have perhaps something big in mind.

Their target seemed not only to obliterate Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis, but they seemed to be after some bigger trophies. They may destroy those countries of the region that have made miraculous progress and development in a short span of time and have dazzled the world knowing that this economic might will eventually translate into military might.

For example, the United Arab Emirates, with its GDP soaring from $80 billion in 2000 to approximately $520 billion in 2023, has emerged as a leading business hub, due to advancements in infrastructure, trade, and tourism.

Qatar’s economy has grown from $16 billion to about $270 billion, driven by its vast natural gas reserves and investments in sports and tourism. Saudi Arabia’s GDP has surged from $160 billion to $1.3 trillion, bolstered by its Vision 2030 plan aimed at diversifying its economy beyond oil.

Oman has expanded its GDP from $20 billion to around $90 billion through diversification efforts in tourism and logistics, while Bahrain has seen its GDP rise from $12 billion to about $47 billion, establishing itself as a key regional financial centre will be adding to my argument in the next letter to the Editor by me very soon.

Qamar Bashir

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024