Saudi-UAE 'Iron Brothers' Rift: Yemen Ignites Cold War, Reshaping Gulf Alliances
Explainers
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News18•30-01-2026, 19:08
Saudi-UAE 'Iron Brothers' Rift: Yemen Ignites Cold War, Reshaping Gulf Alliances
- •The long-standing alliance between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, once the axis of Gulf politics, has fractured, evolving into a slow-burning cold war.
- •The split, driven by policy disputes and overlapping ambitions, became overtly visible in Yemen, where both nations began backing opposing factions.
- •Saudi Arabia is forging new alliances with Pakistan and Turkey, focusing on defence cooperation and advanced military technology like drones.
- •The UAE is strategically partnering with India and Israel, emphasizing technology-driven security, cybersecurity, and missile defence.
- •Economically, Saudi Arabia's 'Project HQ' and Riyadh Air directly challenge Dubai's regional dominance, while both compete in AI and diverge on oil production strategies.
Why It Matters: The Saudi-UAE alliance has dissolved into a multi-front rivalry, redefining Gulf power dynamics and regional partnerships.
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