Population Size
- West Asia has an estimated population of 460 million people (2024).
- The largest country by population in the region is Egypt with over 109 million people.
Oil Reserves
- West Asia holds approximately 48% of the world’s proven oil reserves.
- Saudi Arabia alone holds around 17% of global oil reserves, with about 266 billion barrels of proven reserves.
World’s Tallest Building
- The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, is the tallest building in the world at 828 meters (2,717 feet) with 163 floors.
Religious Significance
- Islam, which originated in the Middle East, is practiced by approximately 94% of the region’s population.
- Over 1.9 billion Muslims globally consider Mecca in Saudi Arabia the holiest city in Islam.
- The annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia attracts over 2 million pilgrims from around the world every year.
Largest Desert
- The Rub’ al Khali (Empty Quarter) in Saudi Arabia is the largest continuous sand desert in the world, covering an area of 650,000 square kilometers (250,000 square miles).
GDP
- The combined GDP of West Asia is approximately $4.0 to $5.0 trillion (2023 estimates).
- Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE are the largest economies in the region, with Saudi Arabia leading at $1.06 trillion.
- The richest country per capita in the region is Qatar, with a GDP per capita of around $60,000.
Navigating the Hormuz Conundrum
Only 2 Gulf states can pipe oil around Hormuz. Saudi Petroline is maxed at 7 mb/d; the UAE’s new Fujairah line won’t double capacity until 2027. Kuwait, Iraq, and Qatar have no exit — and LNG has none at all.
Ausaf Sayeed | Jul 20, 2026 | 5 min read
The Pause at the Strait
The Islamabad Memorandum has stopped a war and reopened Hormuz — a real achievement. Much is still to be negotiated, but for India the opening it creates is genuine: a chance to secure energy, revive Chabahar, and shape the order ahead.
Ausaf Sayeed | Jun 18, 2026 | 5 min read
The Spiral and the Stakes: West Asia’s Fragile Deal and India’s Reckoning
After a hundred days of war, the Iran conflict produced its most dramatic 24-hour swing yet — from Trump threatening to seize Kharg Island to announcing a peace deal “approved by all parties,” with Iran and Israel both contesting the claim. Qatar’s quiet diplomacy brokered a narrow framework, but the nuclear file, $16 billion in frozen funds, and Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon remain unresolved
Ausaf Sayeed | Jun 13, 2026 | 5 min read
Trump Can’t Force the Abraham Accords
Normalisation of the Arab world’s relationship with Israel, to be meaningful and lasting, cannot bypass Palestine and be bundled into geopolitical horse-trading Donald Trump’s late-May 2026 demand that virtually every Arab and Islamic state “mandatorily” join the...
Ausaf Sayeed | Jun 4, 2026 | 5 min read
PM Modi’s Abu Dhabi Visit Redraws India’s Gulf Calculus
Modi’s Abu Dhabi visit wasn’t a stopover — it was a strategic statement. A defence framework, energy deals, $5bn in investments, and a direct Hormuz declaration. India’s Gulf calculus has been redrawn.
Ausaf Sayeed | May 15, 2026 | 6 min read
Stay in touch
Subscribe to our blog for insightful updates, expert analyses, and in-depth stories on politics, culture, economics and innovation across West Asia. Don’t miss out—be the first to know what’s shaping the region today!