
© Reuters
Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (R)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L)
A clash between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over oil production is finally revealing the rise of a new regional power. While the world looked the other way,
Abu Dhabi has been slowly building and expanding its sphere of influence.
Unbeknownst to most in the West, the United Arab Emirates has been expanding its network of power throughout the Middle East and even beyond, to the point where its
Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed seriously contests the power of Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman.
In the past weeks
a dispute between Saudi Arabia and the UAE began when an OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) plan set out a new 2022 schedule during which there would be a prolonged reduction in oil output. The UAE quickly lashed out, publicly
calling the plan "unfair" and sparking retaliatory rhetoric from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Under an OPEC+ (OPEC plus ten other oil-producing states) proposal, still in dispute,
Saudi Arabia would have to cut its oil production by 5% and the UAE by 18%. The UAE fired back, declaring that the market is in need of higher oil production, due to a decline in prices, which comes as a result of the reduction in energy usage and international travel.
This spat between Persian Gulf powers may seem relatively inconsequential to the average western onlooker, but the
implications have already been significant, with a six-year high in oil prices coming as a result. Although
they seem to be moving towards an agreement, it is likely that the two allies will soon again be at loggerheads, as their proxy forces in Yemen wage war upon each other.
Comment: There can be no other explanation for the 'pause' in pursuing such a slam-dunk case as presented by Hunter's laptop, and the total media blackout for reporting on it, other than shielding Joe's presidential campaign. This was borne out by polls indicating nearly 17% of Democrat voters would not have cast their ballot for Biden, if they had known about his and his son's corruption.
From November 2020: Tucker Carlson weighs in: