Browsing: UAE

A new airstrip on Zuqar Island provides surveillance and interdiction capabilities against Houthi smuggling routes. The UAE-backed National Resistance Forces use such bases to project power and intercept Iranian weapons, complicating Tehran’s support network for the Houthis.

The public Saudi-UAE clash over Yemen reveals misaligned interests and poor communication. By publishing clear national security strategies and strengthening bilateral crisis-resolution forums, Gulf states can manage internal tensions and focus on shared regional challenges more effectively.

The STC’s capture of Yemen’s eastern border with Oman shattered Muscat’s security, forcing unprecedented coordination with Saudi Arabia to expel the separatists. The episode shows that neutrality offers no protection, only a fragile hope of containing regional spillover.

India’s Gulf clout is evolving from diaspora-driven influence to a strategic defense and tech partnership. Despite the Saudi-Pakistan defense pact, India’s “Shared Strategic Autonomy” with the UAE—bolstered by a $200 billion trade target—positions it as a vital stabilizer against emerging China-backed axes.