The Middle Eastern region has seen many dramatic events, which are partly reflected in urban radiance information. Not all lights indicate cities; also oil and gas fields are clearly visible. Syria’s radiance increased until the civil war in 2011, after which radiance fell below 2000 levels. A similar effect can be seen after the Lebanon war in 2006. At the same time, the gulf coast of the Emirates, Quatar and Saudi Arabia see massive infrastructure development.
