I was at the Islamic Port of Jeddah once and a ship had just arrived from Somalia. The ship discharged its cargo: a herd of hundreds of camels. And the sand there is useless for making cement or even kitty litter. Worthless (except for oil) country.
I wish we would just drill for our own oil and get a realistic attempt at nuclear power. I’d love to see those wealthy arab dudes trying to sell sand and camels.