Middle East after Oil runs dry?

I am curious as to what is going to happen in the middle east when oil, which currently dicates what happens there, runs out.

What is going to happen to the middle east when the oil runs out or people start using other sources for fuel?

Will the Middle Eastern countries that have become rich through oil invest in other things to keep their countries rich?

Will the countries become poor?

And will the USA finally stop supporting Israel?

[edit on 29/8/04 by Hyperen]

Rumour has it (this is just a rumour though) that many of the companies associated to OPEC (Oil Producing Exporting Countries... i think) have bought the patents to many of the designs for alternative powers to fuel.. it is even beleived that one may hold a patent for perpetual motion.. if anyone has the money to purchase such patents... it's these guys and then they hold the market for power even longer.... but like I said, this is only a rumour...

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At the time that Middle East oil runs out, most of the World's supply of oil will be gone. What happenes in the Middle East will the least of the US's problems. If we haven't broken our addiction to oil by then we will thrash around and simply be toast as far as an economy goes.
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If their oil runs out, they will be just some more third world countries that are overlooked and ignored.

"What is going to happen to the middle east when the oil runs out or people start using other sources for fuel? "

Without attractive resources the middle east will probably become a intellectual superpower, as it did previously in history.

Oils Over-rated

Originally posted by Klepto
it is even beleived that one may hold a patent for perpetual motion

Does that even exist?

What kind of rumour is that?

It's a wild rumor....


As one mentioned, if we haven't broken our oil addiction by then, we're screwed, hehe....

But, that goes into the other alternative.... What if we DID utilize alternate power sources, etc. and our dependancy just dropped? If oil prices sank insanely...many of these guys would be seriously screwed. When it comes to opulence, some of the OPEC rulers make rappers look like paupers!

I suspect that we'd see the Middle East turn into something like Africa....various tribal warlords all vying for control. Unfortunately, they'd be doing so with far scarier weapons than in Africa....