No, not Iranians and Israelis on the brink of war. And, no, not the seemingly endless search for a Palestinian state. Rather, the implications of the newest rivalry that is defining Middle Eastern politics: Saudi Arabia vs. United Arab Emirates.

These two countries are rapidly passing through the geopolitical equivalent of the five stages of grief: from allies to collaborators to competitors to adversaries and—possibly—to enemies.

Why? What’s at stake? Is it personal or just business? What are the potential consequences?

It is probably too soon for answers, but not for informed speculation. Professor Rob Geist Pinfold is a close observer of the Arab Gulf and the Levant. Listen as he explores how the Saudis and the Emiratis—and their leaders, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed—are maneuvering for power in a region that is critical to all of us.

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ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr Rob Geist Pinfold is a Lecturer in International Security at King’s College London. He is also a Research Fellow at the Peace Research Center Prague and an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Rob is a scholar of grand strategy, with a regional focus on war and contemporary conflict in the Middle East. His work has been published in numerous academic journals, such as the European Journal of International Security, the Journal of Global Security Studies, Survival, International Studies Perspectives, the Journal of Strategic Studies and Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. His full-length book manuscript, Understanding Territorial Withdrawal: Israeli Occupations and Exits, was published by Oxford University Press in 2023. He has written for Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, Haaretz, The New Arab, The Middle East Council on Global Affairs and the Royal United Services Institute, and provided commentary for Al Jazeera, France 24, RTE News, CNBC, the BBC and many others.