UN General Assembly
1974

242. There is a historical paradox here. The Middle East is one of the richest areas of the globe. It has natural wealth, fertile soil, abundant water for irrigation, international lines of communication, incomparable sites for pilgrimage and tourism and old, historic peoples possessed of ancient cultures and modern skills alike. But this bountifully endowed area is still, from the social and economic point of view, one of the most backward in the world.