Saudi & UAE: The Cold Gulf War - with Yonatan Adiri and Yael Wissner-Levy

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For years, normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel was seen as the ultimate goal of the Abraham Accords and the final step towards unlocking regional stability. But a sharp rivalry is heating up between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. Dan is joined by Yonatan Adiri and Yael Wissner-Levy to unpack the economic, political, and personal dynamics driving this feud, what it means for Israel, and why India and global energy corridors may matter more than most people realize.
In this episode:
00:18 - MBS’s Vision 2030 under pressure and the internal Saudi recalibration
10:40 - Mentor turned rival: How MBS and MBZ went from alignment to confrontation
18:45 - The Yemen flashpoint that ruptured the Saudi–UAE relationship
24:00 - Energy corridors, IMEC, and the India factor
28:30 - Is Israel collateral damage or strategically positioned?
34:50 - Why UAE’s “infrastructure diplomacy” may be winning quietly
38:45 - The future of normalization versus regional integration
This episode was sponsored by United Hatzalah. Donate today at IsraelRescue.org/CallMeBack (israelrescue.org/CallMeBack). Add this number to your phone right now if you live in Israel – 1221, and for those visiting it’s 972-2-5-383838.
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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo