The Rupture in the Gulf, and its Fallout

About this episode

The episode discusses the rupture between Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Yemen and its implications for the Horn of Africa.

In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Crisis Group experts Yasmine Farouk, Omar Mahmood and Shewit Woldemichael. He first speaks with Yasmine about what is behind the new public rupture between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in Yemen, how this links to diverging strategies and rising tensions in the Horn of Africa, and the risk of a new Gulf crisis. Alan then turns to Omar and Shewit to discuss spillover into Somalia, including the fallout around Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, and into Sudan, where Riyadh and Abu Dhabi back opposing sides in the war, and what further polarisation and external competition could mean for an already tumultuous Horn of Africa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Alan

Guests: Yasmine Farouk, Omar Mahmood, Shewit Woldemichael

Topics covered

• Gulf crisis
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Horn of Africa
• Somalia
• Sudan
• geopolitical tensions

Keywords

• Gulf crisis
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Horn of Africa
• Somalia
• Sudan
• geopolitical tensions
• Israel
• Somaliland

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Crisis Group

Places: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Horn of Africa, Somalia, Sudan, Israel, Somaliland

More episodes of The Horn

• Mediating the Horn’s Wars: An Exit Interview · June 12, 2026 · 33 min
• Tiny Djibouti, and Its Prime Real Estate · June 4, 2026 · 27 min
• Sudan, and a Region and World in Upheaval · May 15, 2026 · 36 min
• Somalia’s Election Standoff and New Inflection Point · April 30, 2026 · 36 min
• Bonus Episode: After Three Years of War in Sudan, What Hope for a Ceasefire? · April 9, 2026 · 42 min
• How the Iran War is Reshaping the Region · April 2, 2026 · 37 min