New Arab state left to probe content of desert, a waste region (2-4-4)
I believe the answer is:
no-mans-land
'desert a waste region' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both locations as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'new arab state left to probe content' is the wordplay.
'new' becomes 'n' (common abbreviation eg NT for New Testament).
'arab state' becomes 'Oman' (Oman is a Middle Eastern country).
'left' becomes 'l' (common abbreviation).
'to probe' indicates putting letters inside (probe can mean to poke into).
'content' becomes 'sand' (I have seen 'Content of hourglass ' mean 'sand' so perhaps 'content' could also mean 'sand').
'l' going inside 'sand' is 'sland'.
'n'+'oman'+'sland'='NO-MANS-LAND'
'of' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for no-mans-land that I've seen before include "disputed territory" , "Unoccupied zone" , "Ambiguous region" , "Neutral area" , "Area between two opposing armies" .)