Gulf countries rely heavily on plants that make sea water potable — for drinking and for industry, including farming, oil production, and tourism. They may be vulnerable to attack.
Higher oil prices typically mean more cash in hand for oil producers, including those in the U.S. But increasing production is a slow and expensive process.
It’s still early in the current war in the Middle East, but the impact on oil markets may feel like déjà vu for those who remember the oil embargo of the 1970s.
Even though most of what moves around the world travels by ocean freight, a growing volume of goods travels via plane, with about 13% of that air cargo passing through the Gulf.