Gulf States Scramble for the Horn of Africa: A Case Study of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Abstract

The Horn of Africa, so named for its hornlike shape when viewed on a map or
from outer space, is a geostrategic region on the African continent owing to its
proximity to the shipping lane sea-borne goods and oil, worth millions of dollars
from the Persian Gulf, pass through on a daily basis from the Gulf of Aden,
through the chokepoint Bab el-Mandeb, to the Red Sea, and then the Suez
Canal which leads to the Mediterranean Sea. Made up of Djibouti, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, and Somalia, the Horn of Africa has become attractive to a number
of foreign powers that are jockeying to have a foothold in it. Among these external
powers with competing diplomatic, economic and security interests are the Gulf
States in the Arabian Peninsula – Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) which are investing huge capital, and building seaports
and military bases in the geostrategic region. This paper examines Gulf States
scramble for the Horn of Africa with a focus on the protagonist, the UAE. For
the study, data were garnered from secondary sources. Theoretically, the Game
Theory was adopted for the study. The paper concludes that the UAE has done
remarkably well over the years by investing billions of dollars in development
projects in the region. However, its investment will be at stake, if a divided
Somalia distabilises the region in the nearest future.