▁said ▁to ▁have ▁little ▁power . ▁In ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ▁states ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁could ▁not ▁vote ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁guest ▁workers ▁rather ▁than ▁citizens . ▁ ▁In ▁most ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁countries , ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁market ▁econom ies ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁limited ▁by ▁political ▁restrictions , ▁cor ruption , ▁and ▁cron y ism , ▁o vers p ending ▁on ▁arms ▁and ▁prest ige ▁projects ▁and ▁over - dep end ence ▁on ▁oil ▁reven ues . ▁The ▁successful ▁econom ies ▁were ▁countries ▁that ▁had ▁oil ▁wealth ▁and ▁low ▁populations , ▁such ▁as ▁Q atar , ▁Bah rain , ▁K uw ait ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Arab ▁Em ir ates , ▁where ▁the ▁r uling ▁em irs ▁allowed ▁some ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁liberal ization , ▁but ▁without ▁giving ▁up ▁any ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁power . ▁Leb anon ▁also ▁re built ▁a ▁fairly ▁successful ▁economy ▁after ▁a ▁prolong ed ▁civil ▁war ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁all ▁these ▁factors ▁intens ified ▁conflict ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁which ▁affected ▁the ▁entire ▁world . ▁Bill ▁Cl inton ' s ▁failed ▁attempt ▁to ▁bro ker ▁a ▁peace ▁deal ▁between ▁Israel ▁and ▁Palest ine ▁at ▁the ▁Camp ▁David ▁Sum mit ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁led ▁directly ▁to ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁A riel ▁Sh aron ▁as ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁Israel ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁Int if ada , ▁which ▁conducted ▁suic ide ▁bomb ings ▁on ▁Isra eli