The economic issue that could be a cause of conflict in Southwest Asia are subsidies (government giving money to industries or businesses to keep prices low) especially in the areas of oil and natural gas.
Subsidy issues lead to conflict because they were initially meant to protect those that needed assistance but in reality seemed to benefit the rich and powerful. Once subsidies were in place they were difficult to remove because they were seen to be a “right”. Once they were taken out of place, Middle Eastern citizens were upset due to unreasonably high prices. This led to many subsidies being put back into effect.
The issue of subsidies often leads to conflict due to political regime changes causing shifts in opinions.
