African governments are increasingly finding themselves at the centre of intensifying competition between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as a widening Gulf rivalry spills into trade, gold markets and the control of strategic port infrastructure across the continent.

Diplomatic and commercial friction between the two Gulf powers has deepened over the past year, with both countries seeking greater influence along Africa’s Red Sea coastline and in resource-rich regions stretching from Sudan to the Sahel.

The contest is being played out through port concessions, mining investments and competing supply chains for gold and other strategic commodities.

In Sudan, where conflict has fractured state authority, rival networks linked to Gulf interests have been accused of backing opposing actors while also competing for access to gold exports and Red Sea logistics hubs.

Sudanese gold has become a focal point of scrutiny, with traders and officials describing intensified efforts by external partners to secure preferential export routes and refinery arrangements.

The instability has complicated African efforts to maintain balanced diplomatic ties while safeguarding sovereign control over natural resources.

Further south, port infrastructure in countries such as Somaliland, Djibouti and Eritrea has become a strategic prize.

Gulf-backed operators have invested heavily in modernising terminals and expanding shipping capacity, viewing the Horn of Africa as a critical gateway linking Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

However, the expansion of rival port projects has occasionally generated overlapping concessions and regulatory disputes, leaving host governments navigating delicate negotiations between powerful external investors.

Trade policy has also been affected.

African exporters report growing pressure to align with one or the other Gulf supply chain, particularly in sectors such as food security, energy transit and precious metals.

The United Arab Emirates has positioned itself as a global trading hub for African commodities, while Saudi Arabia has accelerated its own diversification strategy under Vision 2030, seeking to strengthen commercial and maritime partnerships across East and West Africa.

For many African leaders, the rivalry presents both opportunity and risk.

Gulf investment has delivered capital injections, employment and infrastructure upgrades in several countries.

Yet policymakers are increasingly wary of becoming entangled in geopolitical competition that could undermine regional stability or distort domestic markets.

Diplomats in Addis Ababa and Nairobi say quiet mediation efforts are under way to prevent economic competition from escalating into proxy tensions.

The African Union has emphasised the importance of transparency in mineral exports and port agreements, aiming to ensure that external partnerships reinforce rather than destabilise continental development goals.

As Gulf capitals pursue parallel strategies to secure maritime routes and commodity flows, African states are recalibrating their foreign policy calculus, seeking to extract maximum economic benefit while avoiding alignment that could compromise long-term sovereignty or regional cohesion.