Well, it would be more fascinating were he not confusing Gulfie market for the entire Middle East.

Natural enough, given the buying power weighting and influence, but his examples are clearly Gulf driven and certainly not applicable in the Maghreb or even much of the Sham.

Well to be fair "Middle East" doesn't usually include the Maghreb.

I remember when I was in Saudi Arabia the National Geographic came in an open sleeve "envelope", for easy censorship (usually just pages ripped out). The issue on Arabian women didn't make it to us at all.

Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't but regardless it certainly includes the Sham / Levant and Egypt.

His commentary is very true for the Gulf, far, far less true for outside the Gulf.

Mind you, it's a good comment, and useful, but I get a bit annoyed with people mistaking Gulf as Middle East.