Saudi-UAE 'Iron Brothers' Rift: Yemen Ignites Cold War, Reshaping Gulf Alliances

• The long-standing alliance between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, once the axis of Gulf politics, has fractured, evolving into a slow-burning cold war.
• The split, driven by policy disputes and overlapping ambitions, became overtly visible in Yemen, where both nations began backing opposing factions.
• Saudi Arabia is forging new alliances with Pakistan and Turkey, focusing on defence cooperation and advanced military technology like drones.
• The UAE is strategically partnering with India and Israel, emphasizing technology-driven security, cybersecurity, and missile defence.
• Economically, Saudi Arabia's 'Project HQ' and Riyadh Air directly challenge Dubai's regional dominance, while both compete in AI and diverge on oil production strategies.

Why It Matters: The Saudi-UAE alliance has dissolved into a multi-front rivalry, redefining Gulf power dynamics and regional partnerships.