Season 4, Episode 4: Things are heating up in the Gulf, Part 1

In this episode Dave and Gav dig into the increasingly heated rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two monarchies that once moved in lockstep, but are now violently competing for regional dominance.What began as a strategic partnership, most visibly in Yemen after 2015, has evolved into a contest over leadership of the Gulf, influence in OPEC+, and control of trade routes. Saudi Arabia under MBS is repositioning itself as the political and economic heavyweight of the Middle East, pressuring multinationals to relocate regional headquarters to Riyadh and recalibrating its foreign policy outreach. Meanwhile, the UAE has leveraged its port networks, financial hubs, and interventionist security policies to build influence from the Horn of Africa to the Eastern Mediterranean.This episode lays out how the two countries are increasingly tangled up in all the worst ways. Is this former close relationship a sign of more things to come in geopolitics, or just a quick flash in the pan?Let us know at [email protected] or send us a message!This Substack is listener-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. We sincerely appreciate it! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com/subscribe