That's only if you put oil as your top resource, religion is actually the most valuable commodity of the middle east, if they'd all just opt to get along with one another then to kill each other over a minute difference in interpretation of some biblical content they could package and sell it. That would mean even area's as dry as a bone would prosper immensely as people from all over the world would come to observe, enjoy and respect the different cultural experiences. They ain't going to get anywhere chanting death threats.