What's going to happen to the middle east when the oil runs out or when the world changes energy sou

[SayWhatYo]

What's going to happen to the middle east when the oil runs out or when the world changes energy sources? Assuming the world manages to gracefully handle the depletion of oil, what will happen to the middle east once the oil is gone or at least no longer holds as much importance? I ask because it's my impression that many of the middle eastern nations rely very heavily on the oil revenue. I suppose it would end the US and other western countries from meddling in their affairs? but then again, North Korea doesn't have any oil and we still engage them. Anyways, it's just something I was wondering about. I suppose tourism and date export could fill the void.

[valerief]

1. Monster-sized vehicles that the average Murkan NEEDS will run on coal fuel.

Gotta keep that global warming going so that the North Pole can be developed with condos and malls.

[SayWhatYo]

6. That's what will likely happen here...

but what about the middle eastern countries that have 80-90% of their economy based on oil exports?

[valerief]

18. They'll blow us up with the nuclear secrets we've sold them. nt

[kestrel91316]

15. Once we melt all of Antarctica it's gonna be prime territory for

fossil fuel exploration!!!

[Ganja Ninja]

2. They'll still be producing oil in smaller and smaller amounts.

I doubt they will run out of oil totally. They may not power the worlds economy but they'll make money none the less.

[SayWhatYo]

5. I was looking at fita.org

and many of the major countries get 80-90% of their revenue from oil exports. Once most of that goes then it will have a major affect on their economies. I'm not saying using less oil is a bad thing or anything, just to make that clear.

[Ganja Ninja]

14. Before oil was discovered in the gulf the chief export of most of

the gulf emirates countries was pearls and dates. They were basically not much better off than Somalia.

[ThomWV]

20. I think Iran used to export a lot of pistacio nuts too

Of course they grow them in California now, but water shortages are gonna kill that soon enough.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. A lot depends upon what happens in the world in general

with global warming, many parts of the world may become uninhabitable.

[John Q. Citizen]

4. The Saudis are into major diversification. Banking, construction, shipping,

and the list goes on.

[SayWhatYo]

8. Along with Syria...

However, the Saudis still rely on oil for 75% of their revenues(at least now). Although, I suppose that will change within the next decade or so.

[ThomWV]

7. First off the oil will never 'run out', but there will be far less of it and it will be quite valuab

Its not like one day there will be oil and the next there won't. They aren't going to go broke on oil anytime in the next generation or so and while dependence on oil will go away its use will not. The stuff will still be pumped if for no other reason than to make lubricants and plastics - which will of course become more epxensive.

[CJCRANE]

9. Giant solar panels in the arabian desert n/t

[SayWhatYo]

10. Sounds good to me.

[DangerDave921]

11. Sand

Maybe they can export sand to us as our soil erosion continues unabated. We need those pretty white beaches.

[ThomWV]

12. If pretty white beaches are required they will be built in Dubai

Inside of air-conditioned malls.

[EST]

13. Without oil, there is little to attract the meddling so prominent today.

If the world manages to start running logically and sensibly, assuming there is any crude left, oil will still be enormously important as point source high energy and the other world wide market-plastics.

Ubiquitous plastic products are made chiefly from oil, although there have been some forays into the plastics marketplace with materials that include plant material.
These plastics usually still contain petroleum and include the plant material to speed degradation and reduce landfill volume, as well as to reduce the petroleum content.

There is hardly any product left that doesn't contain petroleum in some form. Like the space traveling cities with their "spindizzy" drives, everything is made from petroleum.
The power lines delivering juice to your house and all the wiring within are insulated with petroleum, the outlets and switches are made from petroleum; it goes on and on.
Once all the valuable stuff is finally gone, the areas which have depended on it will become a lot like the boom towns turned ghost towns of the western mountains.
(Unless it has become the only dry land left.)

[MatrixEscape]

16. How is the World going to change energy sources?

There is more to oil than just energy. It is the life-blood of our current life-styles, from rich to poor. A little research will impress you with the fact that petroleum affects our lives and our commodities across-the-board, from herbicides and pesticides to medicines and plastics.

As far as energy goes, one is hard-pressed to find anything viable to adequately "replace" petroleum at anything near the current levels of usage. It seems that too many people are living in an illusion that scientists have or will figure something out. Some technological breakthrough will solve this problem, people hope.

So far, that is not the case. What the future looks like, without the kind of energy we consume, is far different than what we are used to. Of course, the waste and the inequity in the equation of who gets to consume how much of that energy is going to become a more prominent issue. The lower castes are already being encouraged to lower their consumption, (save the Earth) while the upper castes and corporations are able, economically, to enjoy a higher consumption ratio and more assured supply.

One would have hoped that this problem, (which was anticipated) would have been addressed with all due intent and seriousness thirty to forty-years ago, allowing sufficient time to find an energy blood-infusion for the march of progress in respect to overburdening population. That has not been the case, and for many, many reasons that might be obvious.

[Ioo]

17. Strategically Irrelevant - That is what I want them to become

They will go back to looking and sand and kissing the rest of the worlds ass

[wuushew]

19. The end of terrorism and Amerikan hegemony

both desirable goals.