President Isaias received senior Saudi delegation amid rising red sea geopolitical tensions

President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea received a senior Saudi delegation on February 12 at the Denden Guest House in Asmara. The Saudi delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Eng. Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khereiji. According to a statement from Eritrea’s Ministry of Information, discussions centered on enhancing political, economic, security, cultural, and social cooperation in ways that serve the mutual interests of both countries and their peoples.

The two sides also discussed “in greater depth, the role of the Littoral States of the Red Sea in guaranteeing peace and security in the region against the backdrop of fluid regional and international developments.” The statement further added that President Isaias “underlined the importance of further consolidating the historical bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation between Eritrea and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

The meeting was attended by Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh. The Saudi delegation included Ambassador Saqr bin Sulaiman Al-Qurashi, Director General of African Affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Saudi Ambassador to Eritrea Mishaal Hamdan Al-Roqi. The talks underscored what both sides described as a shared commitment to deepening cooperation and advancing coordinated action.

The visit to Asmara came just a day after Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan traveled to Addis Ababa for talks focused on regional developments and security. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described those discussions as “productive discussions”, noting efforts to “deepen bilateral ties, broaden cooperation, and coordinate on regional and global issues.”

Saudi Arabia’s back-to-back engagements in Ethiopia and Eritrea come amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, a vital global trade corridor. Riyadh’s renewed diplomatic activity reflects a strategic effort to strengthen its influence in the region at a time of growing competition with the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE has built substantial influence in the Horn of Africa through port investments, security partnerships, and political alliances, particularly in Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have increasingly evolved into broader strategic competition.

Sudan has emerged as a central arena in this rivalry. The UAE has been widely accused of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), although Abu Dhabi denies the allegations. Recent reports suggest that the conflict has drawn in regional actors, with Ethiopia’s role coming under increased scrutiny. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister’s advisor, Getachew Reda, recently stated that Ethiopia “will not be a bystander” regarding developments in Sudan, signaling a more assertive posture.

Saudi Arabia, which has positioned itself as a mediator in the Sudan conflict, has sought to balance diplomatic engagement with efforts to reinforce its own regional presence. In recent weeks, Riyadh signed a security cooperation agreement with Somalia, shortly after Mogadishu terminated certain agreements with the UAE. In light of this, the Saudi visits to Addis Ababa and Asmara appear to form part of a broader strategic push by Riyadh to consolidate alliances and expand its influence amid intensifying geopolitical competition among Gulf powers in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.