The Economist: Saudi Arabia and UAE are fueling world’s worst conflicts
LONDON, Oct. 25 (YPA) – Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, once regarded as oases of stability in the Middle East, have turned into key drivers that fuel and prolong some of the world’s worst conflicts, British weekly “The Economist” reported.
According to the report, the declining reliability of the United States as the primary security guarantor for Gulf states has left both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in an unprecedentedly fragile security position, yet both continue to pursue increasingly aggressive foreign ventures.
The magazine highlighted Sudan as the most prominent example, where the UAE supports the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—which face allegations of mass rape and genocide in their war against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)—a backing Abu Dhabi denies despite evidence. Meanwhile, Riyadh supports the Sudanese army, which the report described as “relatively less brutal,” turning Khartoum into a arena for a proxy war between two nominal allies.
A similar dynamic unfolded in Yemen, the report noted, where the two nations waged a war against Sanaa forces that ended in sharp divisions, leading to the UAE’s withdrawal and leaving Saudi Arabia alone on the ground. Their rivalry has since shifted to Red Sea ports and the Horn of Africa, where each country backs opposing sides in the escalating tension between Ethiopia and Eritrea, threatening a new regional war.
The Economist warned that arming warring factions, failing to curb the laundering of war proceeds, and complicating diplomatic settlements only serve to protract conflicts. It pointed to a staggering humanitarian toll: hundreds of thousands dead in Sudan and Yemen alone, nearly 20 million displaced, and millions on the brink of famine.
The report concluded with a direct call to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to cease support for warring parties in Sudan—specifically halting arms supplies to the RSF—and to work jointly toward enforcing a ceasefire, warning that the chaos being fueled on both sides of the Red Sea will ultimately engulf their own trade.
YPA