You remind me of the times when we used to tell Irish jokes, like:
Q: How come the Arabs got all the oil, and the irish got all the potatoes?
A: Because the Irish had first choice.
Seriously though - what benefit has all that oil been to the Arabs? Saudi Arabia has used it to insulate its society from the need to develop human capital. Fifty per cent of the population (the women) excluded from human rights, paying jobs, the right to drive cars and so on. Hospitals are staffed by foreign nurses. if Saudi Arabia suddenly lost its oil, it would starve - its people have so few transferable, practical skills. Ignorance, arrogance, colossal racism are ingrained.
Compare with Singapore: a small city-state with no natural resources whatever, which in order to survive has had to make the most of its geographic position and develop as far as possible the ingenuity, skills and work ethic of its people. It prospers; Saudi would starve without the curse of riches that come without work.
