Arab Industrial Revolution?

[Al-Za’im]

Regardless of the various perspectives and debates over the supposed ‘decline’ of the MENA region, it is indisputable that the eventual subjugation of the Arab world under colonialist polities can be attributed to the latter’s economic and technological supremacy, a factor directly linked industrial revolution. Throughout the region, the future nation states that would emerge would inherit urban centres that underwent very little forms of industrialisation. The Fertile Crescent remained overwhelmingly agrarian and feudal, as did the Nile Delta.

Notwithstanding a specific Point of Divergence, would an industrial revolution be feasible within the Arab world? If such is even possible, which areas could emerge as hubs of industrial development?

 

[Simreeve]

Unless they somehow go straight from the "Baghdad Battery" to large-scale electrification (using windmills as their primary generators?) they'll need to discover & develop the use of oil significantly earlier than happened IOTL: The region's rather lacking in coalfields, IIRC, and of course most areas wouldn't be very good for widespread hydroelectricity either. Do you know what their iron and copper sources were like?

 

[Sardar]

I mean you could get an industrial revolution that is based on oil instead right? If the Ottomans are strong and most importantly solvent enough they could maybe begin to take advantage of all the oil in their territory.