The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are
reshaping their military posture abroad, reflecting their recalibrated foreign policy. This especially regards the Bab el-Mandeb area: as the Emiratis have partially withdrawn from the military bases in the Horn of Africa (Berbera in Somaliland and Assab in Eritrea), they are strengthening the pivot on Yemen’s coasts and islands: Perim, Mokha and Socotra. This reorganization mirrors the UAE’s tactical policy
shift from
power projection to
power protection: the Emirati armed forces seem to have temporarily moved from a power projection-oriented expeditionary force to a
reactive and monitoring force focused on power protection. With a special eye on securing maritime waterways for energy and trade.