The Gulf's Perpetual War by Proxy
FIRST INSTANCE: The Legacy of Unequal Treaties and Aid-For-Influence (1960s-1970s): Following the decline of colonial empires, newly independent states in the Middle East became battlegrounds for regional and global influence. Saudi Arabia, flush with oil revenues, consistently used financial aid packages to strengthen monarchical (and later, religiously conservative) regimes and counter pan-Arab
nationalist movements supported by rivals like Egypt's Nasser. For example, during the North Yemen Civil War (1962-1970), Saudi Arabia provided extensive financial and military support to the royalist forces, deploying significant 'cash and clout' to prevent the rise of a republican, potentially secular, government on its southern border. This period established a precedent for instrumentalizing
aid to secure political alignment. REPETITIONS: The Riyadh Agreement and 'Reconstruction' (2019-2022): The 2019 Riyadh Agreement, brokered by Saudi Arabia, aimed to unite various anti-Houthi factions, particularly between the internationally recognized government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which was then backed by the UAE. While framed as a peace initiative, it effectively
consolidated Saudi influence over the anti-Houthi front, sidelining UAE-aligned proxies. Subsequent Saudi pledges for 'reconstruction' and economic support—often totaling billions, like the $3 billion announced for Yemen's central bank in January 2022 (Reuters, 2022)—were consistently tied to political concessions and alignment, rather than unconditional humanitarian relief. This mirrored the