Opportunity Cost of Conflict in the Middle East

The opportunity cost of conflict basically means what the economy of a specific country could have looked like, or appeared, had there not been any wars or other trouble that could potentially disrupt economic growth. The combined opportunity cost of conflict for the Middle East as a whole is around twelve trillion dollars! That's a very very very large number, considering that fact that many of these countries are seen as containing the potential for becoming economically powerful.

The opportunity cost of conflict in Lebanon is something close to one hundred billion dollars. The opportunity cost of conflict for Jordan is around eighty four billion dollars, the opportunity cost of conflict for Syria is close to $150 billion. The opportunity cost of conflict of Egypt is $800 billion, which is an extremely large number.

Basically these figures here represent the amount of wealth that could have been distributed among the citizens of  the specific country had there not been any wars or conflicts.

In my opinion, these numbers truly represent the economic power of the Middle Eastern countries. If other nations hadn't taken advantage of them in the past, then there would definitely be a change in the economic powers, with the list being altered magnificently.  

Mosques in the Middle East

Mosques in the Middle East are amazing. In Egypt, they are located almost on every single corner. They're easily spotted too. Every minaret in Egypt soars well into the sky at night and is illuminated with plenty of light green bulbs. There are thousands of mosques in Egypt, which is why they call the city, "The city of a Thousand minarets". It's the only city in the world that receives that title. However, there are many shared characteristics between the mosques in Egypt and the mosques in like Lebanon, Syria, or Jordan. And since each of these countries elaborately portrays the unequal distribution of wealth, the mosques differ based on where they are located. In Egypt, if they give you a small alley and put in some walls, a fan or two, and possibly a ceiling with green lights on the outside, then it's a mosque. In Amman the mosques there are in the middle of the downtown area scattered throughout.

It's essential to have mosques in the Middle East. People need to pray when it's time to pray and people need a close one that will be convenient to their jobs and homes. But since mosques in the Middle East are more common than cars, finding a few close to your home shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Saudi Arabia has the Ka'abah which is located in Mecca. It's the most sacred place in the world for worshipping for a Muslim. I myself can't imagine what it would be like to pray among those many Muslims in one area (even though I did, I just can't remember) and experience it. The Prophet's (Peace be Upon him) mosque is also located in Saudi Arabia. These two mosques are very important to a Muslim.

Every country in the Middle East has that "famous" mosque. The Ka'bah in Saudi Arabia, Al-Quds in Palestine, Masjid Al- Azhar in Egypt and so on. These mosques are important landmarks throughout these countries, however it's a against Islam to travel to a certain place with intentions to pray at a certain mosque unless it is Al Ka'abah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The qualities of the mosques differ from country to country as well. The very commonly known characteristics of a typical mosque in Egypt is as follows; crowded, hot, infested with flies and other sorts of insects. However these qualities are inviting, especially since it proves one's dedication to go pray. Several other mosques' qualities include clean, air conditioned, spacious, and in good locations. These mosques are present in Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon as well, however they are only found in the affluent districts.

Mosques in Dubai, Doha, and Kuwait city are probably large, clean, and air conditioned. What do you expect? These people have the money to do much more. And I thank God that they're actually building good facilities with their money. In Egypt and the Levant countries however, the mosques (particulary in the older downtown areas) aren't very new because they were either made on short notice, or in an emergency due to lack of mosques in the area. In the end, mosques in the Middle East provide clear images of the dominant religion in the Arab world.

Istanbul

Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey. I That's a common misconception that people tend to make. The capital of the country is Ankara. Nonetheless, Istanbul is the country's economic center, with many international corporations operating directly out of the city. It's Turkey's largest city so it also serves as the nation's political center along with culture and this and that.
Istanbul has a very unique form of architecture. It ranges from old and classic Ottoman style buildings all the way until the modern city center skyscrapers. Istanbul also has a very unique form of housing. Being surrounded by water, the city is home to many yalis. Yalis are these modern waterfront homes; these types of homes are newly built, however they take on the ancient architecture. Yalis are very notoriously known throughout the world as being very common in Turkey.

Many famous landmarks in Istanbul include the Blue Mosque which represents the ancient times and more modern retail centers and districts. Being that Turkey is a very secular country, the nightlife seems to be amplified dramatically. The scene can be as wild as night clubs and as moderate as cafes. The cobblestone streets are also a unique design throughout the city and the numerous cafes that are along the perimeter of those streets are very convenient.

The nightlife and the young atmosphere have both contributed to many exotic cars appearing on the streets of Istanbul and plenty of streets races take place. Lamborghinis and Ferraris are present at these races and people usually stand around and watch them while the races take charge of the locally organized races.

Being that Turkey in general is a secular country, the most common religion in the entire nation (not just Istanbul) is Islam, at about ninety eight percent; the majority of those Muslims are Sunni. Istanbul alone is home to over 2900 mosques. And since freedom of religion is expressed throughout the city, you'll also find plenty of churches and synagogues scattered here and there as well.

And so here comes the final question: what do I think about Istanbul? Well, upon viewing my description of the city, you'll find that I am trule fond of it. I have a great deal of respect for the older time Ottoman architecture, I'm very pleased to know that even though the country's secular that the vast majority of the population is Muslim. Although I have never been there, Istanbul seems like a very well taken care of type city. It seems clean and the infrastructure itself seems very developed. The city itself seems to promote success and stability. How am I not suppossed to love a city with these qualities? It's like the perfect city, everything is present and people tend to approve of their government quite a bit. If you ask me, Istanbul is a good face the Middle East should have. It definately demolishes what Dubai or Doha have to offer because not only does is it present in Istanbul, but it is in a moderate amount.

Turkey

Talking about common misconceptions about the Middle East always seems to anger me. So it's come to my attention to direct my attention on this blog back to the Middle East. The next country I plan to discuss is Turkey.

Some people argue that Turkey isn't a Middle Eastern country. 'They're not Arab and they don't speak Arabic' seems to be their only argument. I seem to find it a Middle Eastern country because it is in the region and ninety eight percent out of the entire population is Muslim. They hold close ties with the "already agreed upon" Middle Eastern countries.

I love Turkey. I think it is among the most beautiful and amazing countries in the entire world. It's very powerful, rich, and culturally unique, with a very respectable past. It also seems like they try to make treaties with every one, even though some treaties conflict with others, they are still a peace-keeping nation. I also think of them as the European Middle Eastern people. Their complexion and their characteristics aren't very Arab.

Turkey has a very powerful army that's ready for business anytime. Due to the amount of respect given to this nations from others, I don't think they'll have to use their military anytime soon. However, if it is ever needed for what ever reason, it is always available. It's large, modern, equipped, and very professional.

The Turks tend to maintain everything in their nation in order to keep stability. Their economy used to suffer from robbery caused by corruption, so that seems to impede their economic growth a little bit. But when the new regime came into power, you're able to witness a significant increase in their economy. This new increase was caused by prevention of the robbery.

In the midst of the Arab Uprising, Turkey had protests. But they were in protest of how good their government and regime was. People tend to cancel Turkey out when they think regional powers,. I'll be honest, I barely ever used to pay much attention to this amazing nation, however, after looking into them, I realized that they deserve a lot of attention.

Left because of Reason

Political corruption is something found in almost every single country located in the Middle East. Powers tend to have a wide range which essentially leads to a much larger room for maneuvering the matters to fit your own needs; your own needs and the people whom you work with. I never really understood the excitement behind robbing from your own country. In fact, I never even knew why the former rules would do it. They'd take the money and stash it in private banks. People aren't naive, and when they know something is wrong, they'll speak out; or they'll attempt to. Any single word with the potential of breaking down the entire franchise of corruption will quickly be eliminated. The owner of the word gets punished and anybody who thinks like him as well. People hated the way their government was dealing with them. They stole out of every single pocket, they wouldn't promote personal freedom, and they wouldn't even stand and give people a chance to speak. 

Another reason why people tend to leave. The sad truth is that they'll try to leave and look for a better place to stay, little do they know that this "better" place will eight times out of ten be worse than their previous location, and that's for a number of reasons. A few questions that a knowledgeable individual might ask would be, "do you really think that this new society will accept you?" Middle Eastern folks tend to find Europe the land of the free, a land that will accept them for who they are. I here this statement and my reaction is filled with a mixture of anger and laughter. Laughing only because I don't understand people's reasoning behind their stance. They're willing to sacrifice everything for something that is not guaranteed.

My audience for this specific post seems to be undecided. I guess it's for anybody oversees who sees a foreigner and understands their situation. Few people tend to respect them because of their determination; that and plenty of them are well educated and respected. Idealistically speaking, they don't want to ruin the image of their country. But if you ask me, they already have ruined it. This is because a foreigner to the foreigner will think that where they come from holds no peace. Fast call judgments are unnecessary because it only makes a person look like a fool.

The Middle East at its Finest

The Middle East is not something that's shown too often to the outside world, whether the indicated place being Asia or Europe. There's always been an image that people seem to take about the Middle East region with a negative connotation that has the potential to destroy their positive view of the people who live there. Ignorance and a naive self really haven't been to the liking of many Middle Eastern folks when they view the outside world's view on them. The people in the Middle East could care less about these people's views on them; and that's not out of disrespect towards them or anything, but it is about lack of care regarding judgment towards the people who impose these wrong views on the Middle Eastern themselves. I haven't really seen many Middle Eastern loving the Middle East region for what it is, especially since the massive amounts of trouble going on right now and that's happened in the past; however the people's hatred for their rulers and the corrupt government seems to be mixed with patriotism. And that's something that people over there make clear. Many of them want to leave their home countries because they claim that receiving your rights is almost impossible, however, they think that their rights will fly towards them the same speed as the airplane flying them out.

Whether they know they'll receive their opportunities outside or not, they leave. But they have massive amount of hope for returning. Some leave and get man handled, so they return quickly. Others seem to find that "perfect" opportunity so they seem to stay there. But so people back home don't give them the wrong looks, they go back every once in a while to visit. Permanent residence back home however seems to be out of the question, but "patriotism" never left their hearts.
Who cares for these people? I'd much rather have them not return back home, especially with that state of mind and that newly developed attitude; even if it is for a visit. I still recognize those whom return because it justifies their true patriotism, however people who return and look "down" upon their home countries need not any respect from anyone. Who do they think they are? They probably got accepted into some society by a different group of people, quickly forgetting about their cultures and traditions, they hopped on these new ones. Oh well, it is their loss in the end.

Cars in Amman

Amman streets enjoy a large variety of luxurious and exotic cars. The population isn't large so it only makes sense to see numerous exotic cars roam the streets. Many people also realize that since Amman is becoming a new destination, they decide to bring in their cars from outside countries, mostly the Gulf region. And so quite a bit of times you'll find that the plates on the cars themselves are from outside the country and mostly titled "Saudi Arabia" or "Qatar".

Despite this "angering" fact, you'll also find many exotic cars plated with the local Amman plates. But like most cities in the Middle East, where you are plays a big factor in seeing what types of cars. For example, you can't expect to find a Ferrari roaming through the streets of Old Amman in the east, however, it is possible that the owner is just passing by to check the scenes.

Many of the nice cars will be found in West Amman (of course) because of the more contemporary and modern atmosphere there. Mecca street is home to the region's first (and possibly the first in the world) Automall. This mall comprises of a nice showroom of cars and accessories needed for maintaining the vehicle itself. Cars found inside this mall includes Maserati, Bentley, and many more foreign yet amazing cars. Mecca street also comprises of something known as "small lots" or whatever they seem to be. These small parking lots are wedged between shops and stores and due to its location in Amman (west) people tend to find among the most amazing cars here. Audi R8, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and much more.

Since you seem to find these nice cars grouped together, what does that tell you? A problem with wealth distribution? No. And by the way, when you see someone in the Middle East with a nice cars, you know right away that they are filthy rich. This is because cars there are taxed like 150-200% on the full price of the cars due to customs. And they always seem to pay in full price; installments isn't really what they want to do. Anyways, the nice cars grouped together's owners all know each other. It is not a matter of connection, but a matter of friendship that seems to identify these groups of cars. This is another reason why I love Amman.

Amman's quality of life

Amman seems to offer its citizens the luxury of obtaining a relatively high quality of life. Of course when you compare Amman to the "dream" cities of Dubai, Doha, and Kuwait City, you'll find that it may not really be up there. But who cares, with respect to the rest of the Middle East, Amman is very high up there with regards of its quality of life. I my self would not mind relocating there. In fact, many people are moving to Amman as expat employees due to its bright economic future and the already-low population.

Quality of life includes good health care system, good atmosphere, good educational system, and good economy. Amman ranks highly among the other cities of the region when it comes to researching these topics up. And the night life of Amman is also flourishing; it seems to be taking Beirut's place as the hotspot of the Middle East. I mean, people will go to Amman for the night scene, but they'll go to Cairo for the monuments and the good "picture taking" scenes. So the tourists should make two stops in the Middle East, Cairo and Amman.

Amman also has many projects that are soaring throughout the city. The largest and most expensive is Abdali, which is the new economic city center. It is a very luxurious project that truly represents the wealth of the country, however due to some economic trouble, the project has been set back a few years. But upon completion of this project, Amman will certainly obtain a new fashionable, international skyline and city center. I just hope that it doesn't turn into another Dubai!

Amman also has a promising educational atmosphere, with many public and private universities, accomodating all the professions as well as the degrees. So you don't even need to leave the country in order to obtain a solid education. And as far as getting a job; well I'm pretty sure there is a high demand for any kind of job in the country due to its expanding infrastructure. I am very proud of Amman because it is a good face in the Middle East.

Beirut

The modern Beirut has been officially termed as the Paris of the Middle East. However I would like to point out in earlier times (like during the 50s and 60s) the Paris of the Middle East was given to Cairo due to its extensive amounts of European architecture found in the city as well as the vast amount of wealth that was there. Nowadays there is  absolutely no city in the Middle East region "worthy" enough of receiving that title, however the obvious discrimination of the modern day Arab world needs to be avoided to they gave it to Beirut.

And I honestly have to admit that Beirut does deserve the title nowadays. It is a very clean city that preserves both its historical touch to it as well as apply a touch of modern and contemporary architecture to it. West Beirut is that like of West Amman, meaning that it is where most of the new fashionable and expensive retail stores are located, the hot spots, bars, expensive hotels, and such stuff that seems to attract the tourists these days. Being that Beirut is a coastal city, it maintains good climate year-round with some snow during the winter.

Beirut is split into two different sections; the beach-side section and the mountain section. The beach side section is where most of the Muslims of the country live. Many mosques will be found in this location. Kind of odd to give the coastal side to the Muslims, knowing that any beach city in the world (with a few exceptions) is a little "out there" for some of the Muslims with regards to clothing. So I'm not so sure how they seem to deal with it there. Now, the mountain side of the city was kept for the Christians. The mountain side of the country also seems to be very scenic, especially since it is dotted with many multi story villas and mansions over-looking the rest of the city.

Beirut claims to be very "liberal" but in my eyes I think of it as a very loose city. The majority of the population is Muslim so they should secure the spot for the Muslims. But it seems that Lebanon as a whole is dependent on tourism since its economic downfall due to many wars, so it is willing to keep the city as an "open and come do whatever you want, it is allowed here". I mean, with all due respect, that is not the way it should be over there, however who am I do decide, right?

Amman or Beirut? Amman by a long range. Don't tell me Beirut is this or Beirut is that. Amman is slowly emerging as the financial spot of the Levant district and Beirut is slowly losing that title. Now, with that being said, Beirut is still a respectable city, however many of the aspects of the city are some of the reasons why I wouldn't think of relocating here.

Lebanon

Lebanon is another "very Arab" country in the Middle East. It borders the Mediterranean Sea and that's where most of its cities and such are located. Lebanon and Jordan share quite a bit of characteristics, however the major difference between Amman and Beirut (the capital of Lebanon) is that one is a coastal city and the other isn't. Many people used to think that Lebanon was the 'spot' because of the liberal atmosphere there. Lebanon houses some things that you could never find in a different Arab city such as Cairo or Amman or even Damascus. But the thing I dislike about Lebanon is its ratio of Muslims to Christians. 59.7% are Muslims ( and that includes Sunni, Shiite) while 39.7% are Christians (all branches) and then there's a 1.3% other. You would think that a country with a ton of history like Lebanon would maintain its Muslim culture throughout the entire country like Syria, Egypt, or Jordan. But I guess the large non-Muslim population is among many reasons why it is such a liberal country. At least the culture of Lebanon though is mostly Arab, but of course it does share some European (mostly coastal European countries) characteristics in the newer areas; but it is still not the majority.

The rest of West Amman

Abdoun is the upscale residential (and soon to be commercial) district of Amman. It has what you may call the city's only "red-light district" even though it is unofficial and hasn't really been recognized internationally. It has the new stylish apartment buildings that you probably won't find increase beyond five or six floors. It has those new mansions that you may find on a mountain or hill overlooking the rest of the city. Most of the cities bars and clubs are found in this area. This area also makes Amman bear the title of a "liberal city" even though these flexible regularities are only applied to the tourists. So these night clubs and bars have become a popular Arab destination. Arab as in from Saudi Arabia, which of course doesn't have anything absolutely close to a red-light district.

Leaving Abdoun you'll probably cross into the new urban centers. The "city centers" of the city. And "Mecca Street" is that new street that takes the title. On this street are many modern companies and fashionable stores. Expensive and luxurious cars are also found on this street. And due to the expenive net worth of the street at particular moments, you'll find that people tend to obey the traffic laws and drive a little more cautiously. Because of the cars and also because these people tend to be among the upper class, so manners is something they need to apply so they don't have to look like their counter parts in East Amman. These so called manners however are worth nothing if they forget the true way they should be living their lives.

Wakalat Street is also located somewhere in this area. It's known as a pedestrian only street that houses many retail stores and malls and more luxurious cafes. The buzz of the street can be found even as late as three in the morning. And all of these areas are located somewhere near a place known as Sweifieh, which is apart from Wadi As Seer. Wadi As Seer is about seven mile northwest of the mid center of Amman. So the new area is still within the city, however it is just far away from the congested center of the older downtown Amman.

Why do you think that I started talking about Amman right off the bat? What ever happened to the usual introduction of the country as a whole; Jordan? Well the simple answer is that Amman *is* Jordan. Kind of like Doha to Qatar. When you describe Amman, you are basically describing Jordan. Alright, Jordan does have another "populated" city; Aqaba.  Aqaba is a small resort city on the Gulf of Aqaba apart of the Red Sea. That's all you need to know about Aqaba. However, Amman indeed does require a much more thorough description because it's not just describing a city, but an entire country.

I'm done talking about the Gulf, let's focus on the actual Middle East: Amman

I love this city. Amman, Al Urdun. Ask me have I ever been to it, and the answer is of course no, like the majority of the other cities in the Middle East. But here's the thing, I don't really care for not going there, I have friends whose family resides in this particular city and my own family has even stopped there before. It's true that they stayed there over night or even two hours, (one of the two) however that's good enough for me to make my own opinonated claim that Amman is a very beautiful city.

What does beautiful in this context mean? Well, it certainly doesn't mean Dubai style beautiful or Sharm El Sheikh beautiful. In fact, Amman is beautiful in its own way, so I can't compare it to any other city because it's almost impossible. If I had to absolutely pick one city, then it'd have to be Alexandria, Egypt. You might say why didn't you choose Cairo, and I'll simply respond by answering that Cairo is just too big to be compared by any city in the Middle East. Alexandria even is out there when comparing it to Amman, but oh well, it needs a "close" city, does it not?

Don't bother with worrying yourself about why I chose Alexandria as Amman's "close" city. This post isn't about comparing the two. But you're most definately free to go back and read my Alexandria posts and the upcoming Amman ones and compare them yourself even though you might not agree with my previous claim

What makes Amman a special city? Nothing is my answer. It's a simple city with many shared characteristics of Cairo, but I shall not compare the two at all. Amman has a lower, middle, and upper class. And these categories may be divided into sub-categories. Amman is divided into two centers, East Amman and West Amman. East Amman is located in the old downtown district. Shops, bazaars, stands upon stands of food, people everywhere, crowded cafes, old cars honking for no apparent reason, and flies. That pretty much sums up East Amman. The Roman  Theater is there, along with many other historical ruins that tourists may find intersting. East Amman isn't really what attracts what people like me look for in a city though; that would be West Amman.

West Amman is the more predominately modern extension of Amman. And Amman is so small that when compared in international standards, you'll find that Amman is ranked relatively "high" based on quality of life only because of West Amman. West Amman has indoor cafes with modern architecture and luxurious lighting. It has more modern and cleander buildings even though they may not be skyscrapers, but who cares, they're still new and expensive. West Amman has the new apartments and villas and mansions. It is where all of the mega malls are located. It has adapted to a more European style of life, despite the fact that the entire country is almost Muslim.