United Arab Emirates

South Korea

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates agreed to some $65 billion in joint cooperation projects, including $35 billion in defense projects, the South Korean government announced on Feb. 26.

UAE, South Korea: Seoul, Abu Dhabi Ink Fresh Defense Deal

Somalia

United States

Turkey

Europe

Talks between Somalia's federal government and the opposition Somali Future Council, or SFC, regarding Somalia's electoral model collapsed after both parties failed to reach an agreement, Somalia Today reported on Feb. 23. 

Somalia: Talks Between Federal Government and Opposition Over Electoral Model Collapse

Chad

Sudan

Uganda

Chad closed its eastern border with Sudan amid severe clashes between forces loyal to the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, in the locality of Tina in Sudan's North Darfur state, with RSF forces allegedly clashing with Chadian security forces near the locality, Reuters reported on Feb. 23.

Sudan: Chad Closes Border Amid Severe Clashes, SAF Lambasts Museveni's Meeting With RSF's Hemedti

Iran

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Energy

U.S.-Iran Relations

A nuclear cooperation deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia may include provisions for the latter to domestically enrich uranium, Reuters reported on Feb. 19, citing congressional documents. 

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Nuclear Deal May Include Uranium Enrichment

Egypt

Saudi Arabia's and Somalia's defense ministers signed a new defense agreement on the sidelines of the World Defense Show in Riyadh on Feb. 9, the two governments said.

Saudi Arabia, Somalia: Defense Agreement Will Bolster Somalia's Capabilities

Algeria

Algeria began canceling its 2013 air service agreement with the United Arab Emirates, marking the latest deterioration in ties between the two countries, Reuters reported on Feb. 7.

Algeria, UAE: Algeria Begins Canceling Air Service Agreement With UAE

Saif al-Nasr Haroun, the infrastructure minister with Sudan's Sudanese Armed Forces-backed government, said the SAF would grant priority to Saudi companies in reconstruction projects to repair infrastructure damaged by the civil war, with a focus on port and rail initiatives, Sudan Tribune reported on Jan. 27.

Sudan: SAF-Backed Government Vows To Prioritize Saudi Companies in Reconstruction Projects

Syria

Yemen

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said he would introduce the Save the Kurds Act, which would impose sanctions on those threatening Syria's Kurdish population, and criticized the Syrian government and Turkey for their lightning offensive against the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, The National reported on Jan. 27.

U.S., MENA: Sen. Graham Warns Against Anti-Kurdish Actions in Syria, Saudi-UAE Rivalry in Yemen

Columns

On Geopolitics

Iraq

Lebanon

Libya

A dark earth map of the Middle East with glowing details of cities and human population density areas.

Two blocs are emerging in the Middle East: one focused on preserving existing states and institutions, and the other on creating new ones.

Preservation vs. Fragmentation: Two Paths Toward a New Order in the Middle East

Assessments

Palestinian Territories

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) inspect the honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on June 22, 2022.

After years of discord, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are finding common ground as they increasingly position themselves against Emirati- and Israeli-backed regional initiatives. 

Saudi Arabia and Turkey's New Regional Alignment

The national flag of Algeria flies near the Bay of Algiers against the backdrop of the old town known as the Casbah and cargo containers in Algiers, Algeria, on Aug. 25, 2022.

Divergences between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates are poised to grow and may lead to a diplomatic break.

Algeria's Grievances With the UAE Deepen Amid Strategic Divergences

Snapshots

Ukraine

Russia

Emirati flags on Feb. 4 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. On Feb. 4-5, delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States held a second round of trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The talks are unlikely to produce a near-term settlement, as Russia will continue to press its territorial demands while using diplomacy to manage sanctions pressure and build leverage ahead of a spring-summer offensive.

The Limits of Russia-Ukraine-U.S. Talks

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

Saudi-backed forces are seen on the outskirts of Yemen's Hadramawt province, where the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) recently launched an offensive, on Jan. 3, 2026. 

Social Issues

The Gulf nations' growing battle for influence is straining bilateral ties and fueling proxy conflicts in places like Yemen and Sudan, though both sides will likely avoid any escalation that could harm their economies.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE Pursue Divergent Paths in a Multipolar World

Venezuela

China

North Korea

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet takes off from Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport on December 15, 2025 in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. If U.S. strikes escalate and cause significant casualties, it could make retaliatory measures -- including the arbitrary detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela or the harassment of energy sector vessels in the region -- more likely.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: South Korea's President Visits Beijing, U.S. Operations in Venezuela

Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognizing Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on Dec. 26, 2025. 

Israel establishing military facilities in Somaliland would invite Houthi attacks against the territory and raise the likelihood of renewed disruptions to Red Sea shipping.


Israel's Recognition of Somaliland Raises the Stakes Along the Red Sea Corridor 

Yemenis gather during a rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which wants to revive an independent South Yemen, as they wave the old South Yemen flag in Khormaksar Square, in the coastal port city of Aden on Dec. 14, 2025. 

Achieving South Arabian independence will require Yemen's Southern Transitional Council to overcome the historical challenges that have long plagued the governance of Yemen writ large, like tribalism and regionalism.

The Precarious Path to South Arabian Independence

YemenYemenis rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council on Dec. 14, 2025.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Escalating tensions and potential violence between the Southern Transitional Council and Saudi-backed forces create security vacuums that Houthi rebels will likely exploit.



Yemen's Anti-Houthi Bloc Is Fracturing

Yemen's Houthi fighters man machine guns mounted on trucks as they participate in a weaponized protest staged against the United States and Israel on Nov. 6, 2025 in Sanaa, Yemen. 

Global Trade

Israel is expected to soon launch another offensive against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, which will risk reigniting the civil war and exposing Gulf countries and Red Sea shipping to retaliatory attacks.

What a Renewed Israel-Houthi Conflict Would Mean for Yemen and Gulf Security

Entrance signage is seen at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on July 23, 2024.

Riyadh and its Gulf partners will likely prioritize OPEC+ unity and cooperation with Moscow on oil policy over boosting production to offset Russian supply losses from U.S. sanctions, even if it risks irking Washington.

Why Saudi Arabia Won't Backfill Russia's Sanctioned Oil Exports

The United Arab Emirates is located on the southwestern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. To its west is Saudi Arabia and to its east is Oman. Iran is only a few miles north, across the Persian Gulf. With desert in its west and south, dry mountains in its east and the warm waters of the Persian Gulf to the north, the United Arab Emirates' climate is unable to support agriculture beyond small-scale oases and camel herds. The country is divided into three broad regions: the coastal harbors of the Gulf, bounded by the sandy desert of the Rub al-Khali, or Empty Quarter; the interior, where settlements cluster around oases; and the northeast, which is broken up by the Al Hajar Mountains.      There are no natural rivers and few timber supplies in the United Arab Emirates, and nearly all the country's drinkable water is trapped beneath oases. In the premodern era, citizens mainly survived off piracy, trade and pearling, and the most powerful settlement was the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah near the Al Hajar Mountains. After the discovery of oil in the 1962, power shifted permanently to the more southern Abu Dhabi, which holds 94 percent of the country's proven oil reserves. These coastal cities are the core of the country. Founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan established the United Arab Emirates &mdash; the Arab world's only successful federation &mdash; in 1971 and ruled until his death in 2004. At that time, his son and current president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan took over power.      The United Arab Emirates seeks to maximize its independence while warding off the influence and control of more powerful regional players Saudi Arabia and Iran. To do this, it has leveraged its energy supply and strategic location to secure alliances with extra-regional powers like the United States. Utilizing its oil receipts, the United Arab Emirates has imported foreign labor from South and East Asia, as well as the Arab world. Combining that labor with global technology, the country has rapidly transformed itself from a desert backwater to a key transport hub, tourist destination and regional military power.  

SITUATION REPORTS

UAE, South Korea: Seoul, Abu Dhabi Ink Fresh Defense Deal

Somalia: Talks Between Federal Government and Opposition Over Electoral Model Collapse

Sudan: Chad Closes Border Amid Severe Clashes, SAF Lambasts Museveni's Meeting With RSF's Hemedti

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Nuclear Deal May Include Uranium Enrichment

Saudi Arabia, Somalia: Defense Agreement Will Bolster Somalia's Capabilities

Algeria, UAE: Algeria Begins Canceling Air Service Agreement With UAE

Sudan: SAF-Backed Government Vows To Prioritize Saudi Companies in Reconstruction Projects

U.S., MENA: Sen. Graham Warns Against Anti-Kurdish Actions in Syria, Saudi-UAE Rivalry in Yemen

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