By Dr Syed Mohammad Raghib
Two very distinct realities are depicted in the Arab world: one of excessive riches and luxury, and the other of ongoing pain and deprivation. On the one hand, Gulf elites’ lavish lifestyles—complete with opulent houses, private planes, exotic pets, and supercars—have come to represent wealth and power. However, the faces of undernourished Palestinian youngsters in the West Bank and Gaza tell a different Arab tale of hunger, relocation, and broken promises; its going to be 660 days of their suffering. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Sunday that Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023 has resulted in over 59,840 Palestinian deaths and 144,850 injuries. This stark disparity calls into question regional interests, intra-Arab solidarity, and the larger global conscience on a moral, political, and humanitarian level.
The Lavish Arab Life: Oil Wealth and Opulence
The Arab Gulf nations are known for their oil wealth and opulent lifestyles, especially Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Kuwait. Since the 1970s oil boom, these countries have undergone significant change. World-class resorts, skyscrapers, artificial islands, and shopping centres with indoor ski slopes and aquariums can now be found in glittering cities like Dubai, Riyadh, Doha, and Abu Dhabi. By GDP per capita, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates continue to rank among the richest countries in the world as of 2024, according to the World Bank. With a GDP per capita of over $50,000, the UAE is not far behind Qatar, which has about $83,000. The wealth is concentrated in small populations; for example, only about 10% of the population of Qatar is Qatari, and the country has fewer than 3 million inhabitants. This demographic makeup allows for extravagant public spending and raises per capita income levels. The Gulf’s governing families are frequently among the richest people in the world. The House of Saud, for instance, is thought to be worth more than $1.4 trillion. Gold-plated automobiles, yachts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, private jets used for falconry, and extremely expensive watches and handbags are all examples of public displays of luxury. However, the reality of many of their Arab neighbours, particularly Palestine, is incongruent with this wealth.
Palestinian Children: Expressions of Desperation and Hunger
Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, are among the most economically and socially disadvantaged regions in the world, which stands in stark contrast to the Gulf’s affluence. Eighty percent of Gaza’s population, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), depends on foreign assistance. Under an air, sea, and land blockade imposed by Israel and occasionally Egypt, Gaza is home to more than 2 million Palestinians, causing economic standstill. According to UNICEF, almost one in three Palestinian children in Gaza are malnourished as of 2024. Food insecurity, contaminated water, and inadequate healthcare facilities are the main causes of children’s stunted growth, anaemia, and vitamin deficiencies. With only a few hours of electricity per day on average, schools, hospitals, and water purification systems are all impacted. The situation is only slightly better on the West Bank. Economic constriction, military roadblocks, and mobility restrictions have led to significant unemployment rates—nearly 25% overall, with youth unemployment surpassing 40%. This frequently results in lower income for families, which then has an impact on children’s access to nutrition and education. The situation was made worse by Israeli military operations in Gaza in 2023 and 2024. Defence for Children International-Palestine reports that between 2008 and 2024, more than 14,000 Palestinian children were murdered or injured in conflict-related situations. Chronic displacement is common; many people reside in makeshift shelters or crammed structures with subpar facilities for healthcare and sanitation. Palestinian children are raised in a war-torn environment, where they witness frequent bombings, drone surveillance, and the ongoing loss of loved ones. There is widespread psychological discomfort, with many people displaying signs of PTSD. According to the Gaza Mental Health Programme, emotional illnesses affect more than 60% of Gaza’s youngsters.
The Disconnection: Why the Rich Don’t Always Help the Poor
The topic of why the prosperity of the Arab world doesn’t trickle down to its suffering kin is brought up by the disparity between the affluent Arab elite and the impoverished Palestinian children. Arab governments and leaders have frequently verbally affirmed their support for the Palestinian cause. However, political pressure and financial assistance have not always been consistent. The humanitarian help that nations like Kuwait and Qatar have sent to Gaza is insignificant compared to the extent of the need and the resources that these oil-rich countries have at their disposal. For instance, Qatar promised $360 million in aid to Gaza in 2023, which is a substantial sum but insignificant in comparison to its $450 billion sovereign wealth fund. The causes of this disparity are multifaceted. Through the Abraham Accords, certain Gulf countries have normalised their relations with Israel, placing a higher value on defence technology, economic cooperation, and diplomatic influence than on pan-Arab solidarity. The once-unified Arab position against occupation and settlement expansion has been weakened by agreements signed with Israel by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Others contend that coordinated aid is challenging due to Palestine’s political division between Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Gulf leaders are also worried about upending their own governments by aiding organisations viewed as militant or Islamist. The moral optics is still problematic, though. Millions of Palestinian children eat only one meal a day, if at all, while Arab billionaires purchase European football teams or use robotic jockeys to race camels.
Western Hypocrisy and Global Apathy
Palestine’s problems are not limited to intra-Arab relations; the international community is also to blame. Even though Western countries frequently denounce civilian deaths and declare their support for a two-state solution, their foreign policy frequently maintains the status quo. Every year, the United States gives Israel more than $3.8 billion in military assistance. In the meantime, aid to Palestinians is frequently reduced, politicised, or subject to security reform requirements. This disparity has obvious optics. The situation of Palestinians is rarely a major topic in joint statements or press releases when Western politicians travel to the Gulf to negotiate oil or sign billion-dollar arms agreements. The humanitarian situation in Palestine is regularly misreported or underreported, even by Western media. The disparity between the global north’s desire for Arab money and its disregard for Arab misery is further highlighted by this carelessness.
Conclusion: A Moral Reckoning
The Arab world is currently experiencing a severe crisis of identity. Can the oil-rich countries keep creating gold-filled cities while their Palestinian counterparts suffer and go hungry? Does solidarity need to be demonstrated by financial, diplomatic, and moral means, or is verbal support sufficient? There is no one right response, but one thing is certain: it is unsustainable and unfair for two such radically contrasting images to coexist: the daily hunger of Palestinian children and the lavish lifestyle of certain Arabs. It calls into question the morality of the international community as a whole in addition to the conscience of Arab leaders. A portrait divided in two, with one side flourishing in glistening wealth and the other fading into the shadows of poverty, occupation, and neglect, this disparity will continue to haunt the Arab world unless it is addressed with significant political will and humanitarian commitment.
Dr Syed Mohammad Raghib is a research officer at the Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi-110002, his view expressed in this article is personal.
29 July 2025
Source: countercurrents.org