Question

How did the environment of Arabia serve as a form of protection during much of the region's history?

Answer 1

The Arabian Peninsula is a very harsh place. It is mostly covered by vast deserts, the sand storms are a regular occurrence, there's no rivers with constant water flow, and food is very scarce. This all made it very unattractive and risky for exploration or invasion by the other civilizations, so they just left the area and people in there to be in relative isolation for centuries, and that contributed to the development of the unique Arabian culture.