| A single phone call from President Donald Trump has laid bare a once-simmering Saudi-UAE rivalry, pushing the two Gulf powers into a public and destabilizing confrontation. The New York Times reports that in November, Trump told UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) had requested the US impose sanctions on the UAE. Senior Emirati officials reportedly felt shocked and betrayed by what they perceived as a Saudi backchannel maneuver in Washington. This incident has ripped the veil off a long-simmering competition for regional leadership, economic primacy, and influence over strategic theaters like the Horn of Africa, with the UAE finding itself in the uncomfortable position of reacting to alleged Saudi aggression. Why did Trump's phone call cause a rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE? The call acted as a catalyst because it exposed a perceived act of betrayal by Riyadh. For the UAE, the notion that MBS would privately as...