And when the product is moving people and stuff from, let's call it "A", to lets call it "B", surely the position of the hub (lets call it "D") may be simply a natural advantage, untouched by politics or greed.
South African steak is great becaus South Africa is a great place to raise a cow. The ME is a great place to found an airline, because it's a great strategic place for an Airline to BE.