Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

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Military & Security

Politics

Saudi Arabia said its national security constitutes a "red line" it will defend, hours after the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen struck vehicles and cargo in Hadramawt province that it said were supplied by a foreign military to southern separatist forces, Reuters reported on Dec. 30.

Yemen: Saudi Arabia Strikes Yemeni Separatist Arms Shipment, Allegedly Supplied by UAE

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Somalia

Egypt

Israel

The governments of Somalia's Jubaland and Puntland states skipped a meeting convened by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to discuss plans to protect the country's territorial integrity following Israel's Dec. 26 recognition of the independence Somaliland, a breakaway region, Hiiraan Online reported on Dec. 29.

Somalia: Puntland and Jubaland Skip Meeting With Federal Government Over Israeli Recognition of Somaliland

Sudan

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, warned neighboring countries not to support the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, stressing that Sudan had the right to "defend [its] borders" and would be able to "reach [those who aid the RSF] anywhere," Sudan Tribune reported on Dec. 28.

Sudan: Al-Burhan Warns Against Backing RSF Amid Mounting Speculation of Ethiopian Involvement

Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council accused Saudi Arabia of conducting airstrikes in Yemen's eastern Hadramawt province against the group, though Saudi Arabia did not confirm its involvement, AP reported on Dec. 26.

Yemen: Southern Transitional Council Accuses Saudi Arabia of Conducting Airstrikes

Nigeria

The United Arab Emirates will provide $1.2 billion to build a section of the proposed 700 kilometer (435 mile) Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Nigerian presidency said on Dec. 26. 

Nigeria: Government Secures $1.2B in Funding for $12B Coastal Highway Megaproject

The UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council, or STC, led a rapid offensive against forces of the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government, capturing most of oil-rich Hadhramaut province, The National UAE reported on Dec. 4.

Yemen: UAE-Backed Forces Capture Most of Hadhramaut Province

United States

China

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The U.S. Commerce Department approved the sale of up to 35,000 of Nvidia's GB300 servers or equivalents to both the United Arab Emirates' G42 and to Saudi Arabia's Humain, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20. 

U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE: U.S. Approves Sale of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi, Emirati Tech Companies

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Republic of the Congo

Venezuela

Algeria

Iran

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

Russia

Energy

At their Nov. 2 meeting, the eight OPEC+ countries implementing voluntary production cuts agreed to boost production by 137,000 barrels per day in December -- the third consecutive small production hike of that level -- but plan to pause production hikes from January-March 2026, Reuters reported. 

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

Snapshots

Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognizing Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on Dec. 26, 2025. 

Israel establishing military facilities in Somaliland would invite Houthi attacks against the territory and raise the likelihood of renewed disruptions to Red Sea shipping.


Israel's Recognition of Somaliland Raises the Stakes Along the Red Sea Corridor 

Columns

On Geopolitics

Yemenis gather during a rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which wants to revive an independent South Yemen, as they wave the old South Yemen flag in Khormaksar Square, in the coastal port city of Aden on Dec. 14, 2025. 

Achieving South Arabian independence will require Yemen's Southern Transitional Council to overcome the historical challenges that have long plagued the governance of Yemen writ large, like tribalism and regionalism.

The Precarious Path to South Arabian Independence

Assessments

YemenYemenis rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council on Dec. 14, 2025.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Escalating tensions and potential violence between the Southern Transitional Council and Saudi-backed forces create security vacuums that Houthi rebels will likely exploit.



Yemen's Anti-Houthi Bloc Is Fracturing

Yemen's Houthi fighters man machine guns mounted on trucks as they participate in a weaponized protest staged against the United States and Israel on Nov. 6, 2025 in Sanaa, Yemen. 

Global Trade

Israel is expected to soon launch another offensive against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, which will risk reigniting the civil war and exposing Gulf countries and Red Sea shipping to retaliatory attacks.

What a Renewed Israel-Houthi Conflict Would Mean for Yemen and Gulf Security

Entrance signage is seen at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on July 23, 2024.

Riyadh and its Gulf partners will likely prioritize OPEC+ unity and cooperation with Moscow on oil policy over boosting production to offset Russian supply losses from U.S. sanctions, even if it risks irking Washington.

Why Saudi Arabia Won't Backfill Russia's Sanctioned Oil Exports

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

An Israeli military truck carries a tank in southern Israel on the border with the Gaza Strip, on Oct. 14, 2025.

The ceasefire will allow Israel to redirect resources away from Gaza toward other regional threats, particularly Iran, while temporarily easing diplomatic tensions with Egypt and the UAE.

The Regional Implications of the Oct. 8 Gaza Ceasefire

Bahrain

Qatar

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. and Qatari military personnel at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, on May 15, 2025.

The U.S. president's pledge to defend Qatar may deter future Israeli attacks, but it is unlikely to deter Iranian aggression or allay Gulf states' greater concerns about Washington's commitment to their security.

Trump's Security Guarantees for Qatar Unlikely To Offer Enough Reassurance

Oman

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani chairing a preparatory meeting in Doha on Sept. 14, 2025, ahead of an Arab Islamic summit.

The Sept. 9 strike on Qatar has amplified doubts among Gulf states about the reliability of U.S. security guarantees and Washington's ability to restrain its regional allies.

Israeli Strike on Qatar Prompts GCC States To Question Future of Regional Security

Turkey

A picture taken from a distance shows the damaged building (L) in the Qatari compound housing members of Hamas' political bureau on Sept. 10, 2025. Israel targeted the building the previous day in a strike in Qatar's capital, Doha. 

Israel's Sept. 9 airstrikes in Qatar will likely harden the stances of Iranian-backed groups, keep normalization with Saudi Arabia off the table and drive more assertive postures from other regional states.

The Regional Implications of Israel's Strikes in Qatar

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi and the foreign ministers from the six GCC countries (Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates) pose for a group photo during the GCC foreign minister meeting in Kuwait City on June 2, 2025.

Despite global economic uncertainty and oil price volatility, Gulf Arab states are expected to sustain solid economic growth, driven by strong fundamentals, substantial buffers and ongoing diversification efforts.

Solid Fundamentals Shield GCC Economies From Global Volatility

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Paraguay

Uruguay

Indonesia

Japan

Singapore

South Korea

Vietnam

Europe

The Geopolitics of Trade

Mercosur is increasingly opening its markets in pursuit of free trade agreements with partners around the world, particularly as U.S. protectionism shifts global trade dynamics.

The Geopolitics of Trade: What Changing Trade Dynamics Mean for Mercosur

South Sudan

Chad

Uganda

Shipping containers are offloaded from a vessel at Berbera Port in Somaliland on Aug. 31, 2021.   (ED RAM/AFP via Getty Images)

The UAE is expanding its influence across East Africa through large-scale investments and security partnerships, aiming to consolidate its status as a global trade hub and counter regional competitors, at the risk of entangling regional states in broader geopolitical contests.

The UAE's Long Game in East Africa

The United Arab Emirates is located on the southwestern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. To its west is Saudi Arabia and to its east is Oman. Iran is only a few miles north, across the Persian Gulf. With desert in its west and south, dry mountains in its east and the warm waters of the Persian Gulf to the north, the United Arab Emirates' climate is unable to support agriculture beyond small-scale oases and camel herds. The country is divided into three broad regions: the coastal harbors of the Gulf, bounded by the sandy desert of the Rub al-Khali, or Empty Quarter; the interior, where settlements cluster around oases; and the northeast, which is broken up by the Al Hajar Mountains.      There are no natural rivers and few timber supplies in the United Arab Emirates, and nearly all the country's drinkable water is trapped beneath oases. In the premodern era, citizens mainly survived off piracy, trade and pearling, and the most powerful settlement was the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah near the Al Hajar Mountains. After the discovery of oil in the 1962, power shifted permanently to the more southern Abu Dhabi, which holds 94 percent of the country's proven oil reserves. These coastal cities are the core of the country. Founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan established the United Arab Emirates &mdash; the Arab world's only successful federation &mdash; in 1971 and ruled until his death in 2004. At that time, his son and current president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan took over power.      The United Arab Emirates seeks to maximize its independence while warding off the influence and control of more powerful regional players Saudi Arabia and Iran. To do this, it has leveraged its energy supply and strategic location to secure alliances with extra-regional powers like the United States. Utilizing its oil receipts, the United Arab Emirates has imported foreign labor from South and East Asia, as well as the Arab world. Combining that labor with global technology, the country has rapidly transformed itself from a desert backwater to a key transport hub, tourist destination and regional military power.  

SITUATION REPORTS

Yemen: Saudi Arabia Strikes Yemeni Separatist Arms Shipment, Allegedly Supplied by UAE

Somalia: Puntland and Jubaland Skip Meeting With Federal Government Over Israeli Recognition of Somaliland

Sudan: Al-Burhan Warns Against Backing RSF Amid Mounting Speculation of Ethiopian Involvement

Yemen: Southern Transitional Council Accuses Saudi Arabia of Conducting Airstrikes

Nigeria: Government Secures $1.2B in Funding for $12B Coastal Highway Megaproject

Yemen: UAE-Backed Forces Capture Most of Hadhramaut Province

U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE: U.S. Approves Sale of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi, Emirati Tech Companies

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

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