Middle East

The Middle East is a transcontinental region that consists of 18 separate countries, with the majority belonging to the Arab world. Among these countries are Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Northern Cyprus, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Saudi Arabia is geographically the largest Middle Eastern nation while Bahrain is the smallest, while the most widely spoken languages in the region are Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Berber and Kurdish. Some of the world-famous tourist attractions in the region are the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Petra in Jordan, The Blue Mosque in Turkey, Western Wall in Israel, Luxor in Egypt, The Dead Sea in Israel, and Burj Khalifa in UAE. Industries of the Middle Eastern region include oil and oil-related products, agriculture, cotton, cattle, dairy, textiles, leather products, surgical instruments, defence equipment. Banking is also an important sector of the economy.