The UAEs’ Strategy in the Sahel

Who benefits from instability in the Sahel?Why has a small Gulf monarchy become deeply involved in Sudan, Libya, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso? How do gold smuggling networks, proxy militias, military juntas, and migration routes intersect? And what consequences do these developments hold for Algeria, Tunisia, and the wider Mediterranean region?In The UAE’s Strategy in the Sahel: Resource Extraction, Proxy Wars and the Destabilisation of North Africa, geopolitical analyst Hichem Karoui investigates the emergence of the United Arab Emirates as an ambitious middle power pursuing influence through a combination of commercial reach, military partnerships, intelligence cooperation, and strategic investments.The book proposes that the Sahel has evolved into a crucial arena where access to minerals, control over transportation corridors, and competition for political influence are reshaping regional balances of power.Readers will discover:• The ideological foundations of Emirati foreign policy under Mohammed bin Zayed.• How Dubai became a global hub for African gold and why conflict minerals matter.• The relationship between the Sudanese civil war and regional arms networks.• The role played by Libya as a logistical bridge connecting Gulf interests to African conflicts.• The geopolitical significance of successive military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.• The impact of Sahelian instability on Algeria, Tunisia, migration flows, and Mediterranean security.• The concept of 'sub-imperialism' and its usefulness for understanding contemporary forms of indirect domination.Combining academic research with investigative material and policy analysis, this work offers an original interpretation of contemporary African geopolitics and the changing role of Gulf monarchies in international affairs.Intended for scholars, journalists, policymakers, diplomats, and informed general readers, this book contributes to ongoing debates concerning sovereignty, resource extraction, great-power competition, and the future of North Africa.Whether readers agree or disagree with its conclusions, The UAE’s Strategy in the Sahel seeks to stimulate discussion about how influence is exercised in an age of proxy wars, informal economies, and transnational networks of power.