Within this somewhat gloomy framework, we now want to focus specifically on the opportunities to enhance the economic future of the Middle East if the region can “get it together.” The cards are clearly there for a winning hand: The region has few peers in terms of the combination of its enormous oil and gas reserves, large and quickly educable labor force, and the massive sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
