THE ARABIAN PENINSULA

We departed Muscat and are sailing to Mumbai, India.  The Arabian Peninsula is a largely ignored part of the world by most visitors.  Under 1.25 million square miles are most of the world's oil.  It is relatively small compared to the USA, which has 3.8 msm and 335 million people.  The AP has a population of 86 million.

• Saudi Arabia  36.5 million
• Yeman  33.7 million
• UAE  9.4 million
• Oman  4.6 million
• Kuwait  4.3 million
• Qatar  2.7 million
• Bahrain  1.5 million

The cities with the two largest population are in Saudi Arabia:  Riyadh 7.5 million and Jeddah 4.8 million.

However, in 1950 the population was only 9.5 million, mostly Bedouins in the desert.  Then oil was discovered, first in Iran in 1908 by the British.  But the story of oil goes back to 600 BC, when the Chinese first found this liquid.  More recently, there was Colonel Edwin Drake's 1859 oil well in Pennsylvania, and within a decade came John D. Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Company.  Then in 1901, Spindletop in Texas.

But back to the Arabian Peninsula, going way back in time, human habitation has been confirmed as far back as 130,000 years ago.  Remember, we were hunters and gatherers until farming was only developed 10,000 years ago.

Of all the people, it was Winston Churchill, leading Britain's Royal Navy, who wanted to shift from coal to oil, that drove Great Britain into trying to control oil before World War I. To the left the first oil powered war ship.  They were the first to explore for petroleum in the Arabian Penisula.

In parallel, Standard Oil of California began exploring for oil in Saudi Arabia, and found giant fields in the late 1930's.  When Germany invaded Russia in WWII, Britain and the Soviet Union became allies, and took over the oil operations of Iran and Iraq.  After the war, Arabian Peninsula nationalism became a problem, so the West orchestrated coups and otherwise attempted to maintain control of this resource.  However, by 1961 Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Qatar formed the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and took back control.  I could say more, but there continues to be intrigue to this day.

I'll close my petroleum commentary with the following

#Country                   Oil Reserves     World Share
                                (barrels) in 2016 

1    Venezuela             299,953,000,000     18.2% 

2    Saudi Arabia         266,578,000,000     16.2% 

3    Canada                  170,863,000,000     10.4% 

4    Iran                         157,530,000,000      9.5% 

5    Iraq                         143,069,000,000      8.7% 

6    Kuwait                    101,500,000,000      6.1% 

7    UAE                          97,800,000,000       5.9% 

8    Russia                      80,000,000,000      4.8% 

9    Libya                         48,363,000,000      2.9% 

10  Nigeria                      37,070,000,000      2.2% 

11  United States            35,230,000,000      2.1% 

In other words:

• Venezuela is very important.
• Canada has five times more oil than the U.S.   Hmmm...annexation.
• The Arabian Peninsula still dominates.
• Qatar is #13, China #14, Mexico #14, Oman #21, Norway #22, India #24, Yemen #29, UK (yes, UK) #30, Australia #38, Brunei #39, Pakistan #52, Bahrain #67, Japan #78.
• 
  I might finally add that the above tally was taken in 2016, six years ago.  A more recent summary shows the following:
• Venezuela is still #1, but with a current reserve of 304 million barrels, an increase.
• Saudi Arabia is #2 with 290 million barrels.
• The USA has jumped to #9 with 69 million barrels, or almost twice what was guessed in 2016...because of fracking.
• The World uses 35.4 million barrels/year.
• The World has proven oil reserves of 1.65 billion barrels, or, at current usage, just less than 50 years of oil left.

In short, we have spent a whole week in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, which has been an educational experience.  I can further go into the history, culture and other highlights, but will instead end with a few somewhat more humorous insights.:

• 
  Let me say a few things about the national bird of the UAE, the falcon,
• 28,000 of them have passports, and hang out blindfolded in first class when transported.
• A top bird can sell for a million dollars.
• Falcons go to spas for pedicures and grooming.
• 
  The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital only treats these birds.
• The very best falcons come for the annual Fazza Championships in Ruwayyah.  Once a hunting tool for desert nomads, they are today tested in royal hobby shows.  
•  But in addition, there is an annual beauty pageant for them.  Competition is fierce.  The shape of the talons and beaks come into play, and, of course the feathers.
• 
  Camels too participate in beauty pageants.  Cosmetic surgery is practiced, but botox is illegal.  40,000 camels come from throughout the Arabian Peninsula go too Liwa, UAE for the Al Dhafra Festival.  Only females are eligible, but this is so because males fight too much.  The category awards only go up to $13,600, but this where buyers come, and the most beautiful has sold for $66 million.  Camels are not used much these days, but they are also raced and provide milk and meat.  Incidentally when raced, robots have replaced human jockeys.
• 
  About the United Arab Emirates:
• There are no permanent rivers.
• There is a government Ministry for Artificial Intelligence.
• There is another Ministry for Happiness.

• 
  About Dubai.

• Was founded in 1822 with a population of 800, reached 20,000 in the 1930's, and is now up to 3.5 million.
• Had 13 registered cars in 1968.  Now up to 3 million.
• There are 2.3 males to every female.
• Has a driverless metro system of 46 miles, longest in the world.
• Visitors have been prosecuted and jailed in Dubai for public displays of affection.
• Has the largest picture frame:  492 feet tall and 305 feet wide.
• In 1991 had one skyscraper.  Today?  215.
• 
  The JW Marriott Marquis is the tallest 5-star hotel in the world with a height of 1165 feet.
• Reached a high of 125.8 F in 2002.
• 40% of the world's gold comes through this country.
• 
  Gasoline costs about same as water.
• At the peak of construction in 2006, 24% of the world's construction cranes were operating here.
• 
  Police cars can get up to 254 miles per hour.
• Has received more than 130 Guinness World Records.

Tomorrow, I delve into what the Arabian Peninsula is doing for their future when petroleum reserves disappear.  To end, what are the best airlines? Condé Nast just released their ranking:

• #1    Singapore Airlines.  
• They've held this position now for three decades
• They have the longest flight:  19 hours between New York City and Changi Airport in Airbus 350s,
• We are not on one of their flights on this trip, but will spend a night in Changi Airport to look around, then fly ANA to Tokyo for long stop, then back to Honolulu.
• 
  #2    Turkish Airlines
• Their new airport was recently opened.
• I've used this airline a couple of times as a partner with Star Alliance.  Hated it, for their computer system regularly screwed up my schedule.  They must have overcome this problem.
• #3    Qatar Airways.
• 
  #4   Emirates (Dubai). 
• Just flew from Bangkok to Dubai in First Class, and it was wonderful.
• 5000 films and series.
• #5    Etihad (Abu Dhabi).   Plants a mangrove tree for each passenger in economy class.
• #6    ANA.  Their lounges are terrific.
• Don't see United in the top 15. 
• Notice how those countries in the Middle East are now dominating.
• The new airport in Istanbul is now #1.
• Dubai also says it has the largest airport in the world.

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