The Scramble for the Red Sea Is Not Cooling Down
About this episode
The episode discusses the shifting geopolitics of the Red Sea region and the competition among various powers for influence and access.
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by scholar Federico Donelli, author of the recent book Power Competition in the Red Sea , to assess the shifting geopolitics of the Red Sea region. They trace the region’s long history as an arena for great-power competition before turning to the new scramble that has reshaped it since the turn of the millennium, as Gulf states, Türkiye and other middle powers compete over ports, bases, supply lines and political influence. They examine how the UAE-Saudi rivalry is playing out in the region, how Ethiopia’s push for Red Sea access has reshuffled regional alignments, and how Houthi attacks have drawn Israel deeper into Red Sea security. They also consider Europe’s weight as a strategic actor and what future stability could look like in a region shaped by ad hoc coalitions, fluid alignments and non-state actors. This episode is produced in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. For more, check out Federico’s book Power Competition in the Red Sea: Testing the Post-Liberal International Order and our Horn of Africa page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Alan
Guest: Federico Donelli
Topics covered
- geopolitics
- Red Sea
- great-power competition
- regional alignments
- UAE-Saudi rivalry
- Houthi attacks
- European strategic influence
Keywords
- Red Sea
- geopolitics
- UAE
- Saudi Arabia
- Ethiopia
- Houthi
- great-power competition
- regional stability
- European influence
Sponsors
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: International Crisis Group
Books & works: Power Competition in the Red Sea
Places: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Israel, Red Sea, Gulf, Türkiye
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