Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 17 hours ago
The Iran war has exposed a widening fault line at the heart of the Gulf. Once close partners, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are now competing for economic dominance, regional influence and control of vital trade routes.
From Yemen and Socotra to Sudan and Somaliland, the two powers are pursuing fundamentally different strategies. Riyadh largely backs recognised governments, while Abu Dhabi has built networks of armed non-state actors and strategic footholds across the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. Their opposing relationships with Israel, Pakistan and the United States are pushing them further apart.
In this video, Gulf security expert Andreas Krieg explains how the war has shattered confidence in the US-led regional order, accelerated the Saudi–Emirati rivalry and raised new questions about nuclear proliferation, military alliances and the future balance of power.
Can the Gulf monarchies overcome their differences, or are these prisoners of geography heading towards a permanent strategic divide?
(C) Deutsche Welle 2026
The Iran war has exposed a widening fault line at the heart of the Gulf. Once close partners, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are now competing for economic dominance, regional influence and control of vital trade routes.
From Yemen and Socotra to Sudan and Somaliland, the two powers are pursuing fundamentally different strategies. Riyadh largely backs recognised governments, while Abu Dhabi has built networks of armed non-state actors and strategic footholds across the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. Their opposing relationships with Israel, Pakistan and the United States are pushing them further apart.
In this video, Gulf security expert Andreas Krieg explains how the war has shattered confidence in the US-led regional order, accelerated the Saudi–Emirati rivalry and raised new questions about nuclear proliferation, military alliances and the future balance of power.
Can the Gulf monarchies overcome their differences, or are these prisoners of geography heading towards a permanent strategic divide?
(C) Deutsche Welle 2026
