The middle east is a conundrum of gigantic proportions ridden by conflict, contradiction and wealth. Historically the crusades, a war between Christians and Muslims, was to gain control over the epicentre, Jerusalem as the target. That war ended in 1291, but much later Britain and France took control over much of Middle east till after World War 2. Most nations in the middle east gained independence post 1930’s. 1930s-1940s: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel 1950s: Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia Post 1960s: Kuwait, South Yemen, UAE While WW2 pushed Britain and France to cede control, my surmise is the western nations understood the importance of the oil wealth in that area, and continued to exert influence. The predominantly Christian post WW2 west leveraged the inherent contradictions within the Muslim ideology. In the middle east, Saudi Arabia followed by Iran are the largest in terms of size, making them tougher to control. Post WW2, the western nations gained ...
Global executive with 37+ yrs experience driving growth, innovation and strategy across multiple industries (Food, Plastics, Defence, Clean Energy, Automotive, Healthcare, Electronics). Passionate about the intersections of Economics, Politics, Business Strategy and Defence. Expect eclectic insights, humorous perspectives, expert analysis on management, strategy and the complexities of global biz, all served with a healthy dose of realism and a dash of humor.