In the Middle East, a region central to biblical prophecy, significant events are unfolding beyond the focus on Israel and Jerusalem. Among these, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has imposed a blockade on Qatar in June, citing its diplomatic dealings with Iran and Islamist groups as the reason for this action. This move is part of broader regional tensions and reflects the complex dynamics at play in the area.

Wealth came suddenly to Sheik Ali of Qatar, a small Arabian country jutting into the Persian Gulf. The big oil boom brought his nation of 35,000 people an annual income of 50 million dollars, with 12½ million going personally to the 69-year-old sheik. With this sudden fortune, Sheik Ali began to build gaudy palaces in pink, green, and gold amidst mud hovels, equipping them with air conditioning and modern luxuries like push-button window curtains to escape the desert's 120-degree summers. He chartered entire airliners for his large retinue, purchasing a palatial villa on Lake Geneva that couldn't accommodate everyone, forcing overflow into resort hotels. He also spent $1,000,000 on a magnificent mansion overlooking Beirut and the Mediterranean, and during a visit from King Saud, gifted him 16 automobiles, one adorned with gold. However, his lavish self-indulgences led to debts exceeding his income, mounting to 14 million dollars, and news spread of his struggle to make ends meet on such a vast annual sum. By November 1, 1960, he abdicated in favor of his son Ahmed, aged 40, and a new advisory council arranged to pay his debts, providing him a pension sufficient only for a small staff and a few wives, illustrating the difficulty he faced in managing his wealth compared to his earlier, more modest circumstances.