Saudia, the national flag carrier, duly bought American, leaving Airbus fuming in the desert.

ECONOMIST: Thank you, Singapore

It would be politically foolish for Bush to push the issue with OPEC members, which include Kuwait, Saudia Arabia and the UAE.

FORBES: Prosperity And Peace In The Middle East

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Iraq has the third largest proven oil reserves in the world (after Saudia Arabia and Canada).

FORBES: As U.S. Troops Move Out Of Iraq, Oil Companies Move In

And then the rumblings about potential problems in places that actually matter, such as Saudia Arabia, was enough to keep traders hopping in the oil pits.

FORBES: Calling All Traders -- The Stock Market is Up!

In 1996, nearly 350 people were killed when two aircraft, one a Boeing 747 operated by Saudia collided with a Kazakh cargo jet over India, in the worst incident in Indian aviation.

BBC: News | World | A string of disasters