If you have ever been to Oman, UAE, Muscat etc you will see they look after themselves - free education, health and no income tax. If successive UK governments had kept North Sea oil and gas for domestic consumption and not sold it to all and sundry you wouldn´t have to rely on the likes of Iran etc. and our good friend Mr Putin for gas!
Just look what is going on in the UK today - people in charge could not run a booze up in a brewery - pasties (hot or cold) and Jerry cans come to mind.
Remind me who tasked personnel over there to ensure they kept their leaders in place and lost lives over the years............oh wait its HMG.
Population of both combined is less than London but least there is opportunity to change leaders every few years, rather than relying on another family member.
Mid east countries rich soley because of oil and price now manipulated to allow them get even richer.