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

The Horn of Africa, so named for its hornlike shape when viewed on a map orfrom outer space, is a geostrategic region on the African continent owing to itsproximity to the shipping lane sea-borne goods and oil, worth millions of dollarsfrom 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 SuezCanal which leads to the Mediterranean Sea. Made up of Djibouti, Eritrea,Ethiopia, and Somalia, the Horn of Africa has become attractive to a numberof foreign powers that are jockeying to have a foothold in it. Among these externalpowers with competing diplomatic, economic and security interests are the GulfStates in the Arabian Peninsula – Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UnitedArab Emirates (UAE) which are investing huge capital, and building seaportsand military bases in the geostrategic region. This paper examines Gulf Statesscramble for the Horn of Africa with a focus on the protagonist, the UAE. Forthe study, data were garnered from secondary sources. Theoretically, the GameTheory was adopted for the study. The paper concludes that the UAE has doneremarkably well over the years by investing billions of dollars in developmentprojects in the region. However, its investment will be at stake, if a dividedSomalia distabilises the region in the nearest future.