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.
Rewriting of a Post OPEC order in the Gulf
The UAE has left OPEC after 59 years — without telling Riyadh. The cartel barely registered. The real story is the security architecture being built around Abu Dhabi: Iron Dome on its soil, a US dollar swap line, and a Gulf order quietly being rewritten.
Ausaf Sayeed | May 4, 2026 | 5 min read
Abu Dhabi’s exit, the OPEC Fracture and India’s opportunity
The UAE has walked out of OPEC after 59 years, mid-war, without consulting Riyadh. The cartel’s pricing power has been quietly eroding for a decade — Abu Dhabi’s exit accelerates it. For India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer, this is a strategic windfall. The question is whether New Delhi treats it as one.
Ausaf Sayeed | Apr 28, 2026 | 5 min read
The Hormuz Window, an Opportunity for India
The Hormuz ceasefire opens a strategic window — and India is uniquely positioned to seize it. With deep Gulf partnerships, the Chabahar corridor, 10 million citizens in the region, and growing naval capabilities, New Delhi has the leverage to shape West Asia’s future like no other player can.
Ausaf Sayeed | Apr 10, 2026 | 5 min read
The New Middle East: Order, Disorder, and the Scramble for Primacy
The Middle East has become a testing ground for a new multipolar world, one where no single power dominates, but none can enforce rules either. As the United States recalibrates, China advances quietly, and regional actors pursue multi-alignment, the result is not...
Ausaf Sayeed | Apr 7, 2026 | 7 min read
Iran Crisis: Lessons for India from a War Nobody Wanted
One month into the US-Israeli assault on Iran, the conflict has produced outcomes few anticipated or desired. Indirect peace talks between Washington and Tehran—facilitated through Oman and Qatar—were still active when the strikes began on 28 February 2026. Goalposts shifted weekly: from degrading Iran’s nuclear programme to neutralising proxy networks or enforcing regime change, before narrowing to a belated priority—restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway Iran subsequently mined because of the strikes.
Ausaf Sayeed | Apr 5, 2026 | 4 min read
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