Gulf Cohesion Cracks Under Saudi-UAE Rivalry
📰 THE STORY: Bloomberg Politics claims that growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are unsettling Middle Eastern businesses, threatening regional trade hubs as both nations vie for economic and political supremacy. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the UAE is not merely about commercial competition but a
reflection of a broader scramble for influence that was deliberately exacerbated by Western, particularly US, foreign policy. For decades, the US cultivated a network of Gulf monarchies, often playing them against each other to maintain its strategic interests—primarily oil access and arms sales. This goes back to the 'Twin Pillars' strategy during the Nixon administration, where Iran and Saudi
Arabia were armed to police the Gulf, creating inherent regional imbalances. More recently, US and Israeli efforts to forge a united anti-Iran front via the Abraham Accords inadvertently empowered actors like the UAE, giving them a diplomatic leverage previously dominated by Saudi Arabia. Double Standard: Western media routinely frames internal Gulf dynamics as organic 'business competition' or
'regional jostling' when it suits their sanitized narrative. However, when similar rivalries emerge in nations deemed 'adversaries' – say, Central Asian states grappling with Chinese or Russian influence – it's immediately cast as 'destabilization' or 'foreign meddling.' The framing here conveniently ignores decades of Western arms deals, strategic alliances, and diplomatic overtures that actively