🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates - The Geopolitical Desk

Beyond Bab al-Mandab: How the Horn hangs by a thread

Yemen is not the only side of the Bab al-Mandab, across the water sits the Horn of Africa, which has been dealing with its own strife for the past decade. With the Houthis advancing, more eyes look toward East Africa

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 30 Sep 2026

Beyond Bab al-Mandab: How the Horn hangs by a thread

Breaking bonds: Behind the Algeria-Emirati rupture

The long standing relations between Algiers and Abu Dhabi established by the Bouteflika government have now officially collapsed, as both capitals move in two different geopolitical directions.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 16 Sep 2026

Breaking bonds: Behind the Algeria-Emirati rupture

The Gulf's Washington delusion

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 5 Sep 2026

The Middle East’s new oil networks

The U.S.-Iran War and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have upended traditional energy transport networks, with countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iraq now looking to change how their oil is moved.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 14 Aug 2026

Thirst for restraint: Water and the limits to the Iran War

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has long described water as the "strategic commodity" of the Middle East, and the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has highlighted how water has emerged as both a powerful potential weapon and also a durable drag on conflict escalation.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 15 Jun 2026

Thirst for restraint: Water and the limits to the Iran War

After the ceasefire: An Iran War Stakeholder assessment

A special report for Intelligence subscribers that breaks down the positions and possible paths forward for over 20 countries trying to navigate around the U.S.-Israel-Iran war

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 22 May 2026

After the ceasefire: An Iran War Stakeholder assessment

Geopolitical chokepoints and Gulf food security: the fertiliser paradox

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz impacts more than just oil. The Gulf is struggling to export fertiliser and import food, creating a worsening cycle.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 27 Mar 2026

Geopolitical chokepoints and Gulf food security: the fertiliser paradox

Yemen was the Saudi’s red line

The Saudis have succeeded in blunting Emirati influence in south Yemen for now, but the Saudis still don’t know a way out.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 30 Jan 2026

Can the Saudi–UAE rift avoid becoming a bloc conflict?

A new rivalry between these two Middle Eastern states raises questions on if it will expand to the wider region.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 26 Jan 2026

Can the Saudi–UAE rift avoid becoming a bloc conflict?

Egypt, Libya and Sudan: What Is Really Being Played Out

Growing geopolitical competition between Egypt and the United Arab Emirates is taking shape in the Sahel, with the LNA poised to benefit due to its increasing presence in the region.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 14 Jan 2026

Egypt, Libya and Sudan: What Is Really Being Played Out

Why Gulf states need a unified foreign policy approach

Without a common foreign policy goal, the Gulf states have engaged in trivial rivalries that have carried serious security and human costs for the region. It's time to rethink that approach.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 6 Jan 2026

Why Gulf states need a unified foreign policy approach

The race for AI leadership in the Gulf

The race between the UAE and Saudi Arabia will define who sets the Gulf’s digital standards and who becomes its technological gatekeeper. Abu Dhabi's position is already well established, but Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambitions are fast catching up, setting the stage for a Gulf-wide AI rivalry.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 14 Nov 2025