The UAE's Secret Military Base in Eritrea: What Really Happened?

The UAE’s military base in Assab, Eritrea, became one of the most strategically important military facilities on the Red Sea during the Yemen war. But what was the real story behind the UAE’s presence in Eritrea? Located on Eritrea’s Red Sea coast near the Bab el-Mandeb, the port of Assab gave the United Arab Emirates a strategically positioned military and logistics hub for operations connected to the Yemen conflict. But the UAE–Eritrea relationship later became more complicated. Eritrean officials accused the UAE of seeking broader strategic access along Eritrea’s coastline, with Eritrea’s foreign minister describing such ambitions as “port imperialism.” One of the most controversial claims concerns the Dahlak Archipelago, where Eritrean officials have said that a UAE request involving the islands was rejected. So what actually happened between Eritrea and the UAE at Assab? Why did the UAE choose Assab? And what does the story reveal about the wider struggle for military access, ports, maritime power, and influence across the Red Sea and Horn of Africa? In this Blueprint Africa documentary, we examine the evidence, competing claims, and geopolitical context surrounding the UAE military presence in Eritrea, the Assab base, the Yemen war, and the changing balance of power around the Red Sea. 🌍 IN THIS VIDEO 🇦🇪 UAE military base in Eritrea 🇪🇷 Assab and Eritrea’s Red Sea coastline 🇾🇪 The UAE and the Yemen war 🌊 Bab el-Mandeb strategic importance 🏝️ The Dahlak Archipelago controversy ⚓ Eritrea’s “port imperialism” accusation 🌍 Gulf influence in the Horn of Africa 🛡️ Military access and national sovereignty 🚢 Red Sea ports and maritime strategy ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 — The Case of Assab 1:01 — Geography as Military Power 2:31 — Access vs. Control 4:08 — The Expansion of UAE Influence 5:59 — African Agency and Sovereignty 7:35 — The Future of the Red Sea 🌍 THE BIGGER QUESTION Was Assab primarily a military logistics arrangement during the Yemen war? Or did it become part of a broader contest over ports, maritime access, and influence across the Red Sea? To understand what happened, we have to look beyond the military facility itself—to geography, sovereignty, commercial infrastructure, and the changing balance of power around the Horn of Africa. 💬 What mattered most at Assab: military access, maritime strategy, trade, or regional geopolitics? 🔔 Subscribe to Blueprint Africa for documentaries exploring African infrastructure, ports, energy, trade corridors, investment, and geopolitics. --- ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This documentary is produced for educational, informational, and analytical purposes. Statements concerning government intentions, military activities, negotiations, and alleged requests are attributed to the relevant officials, governments, or sources. Some claims discussed in this documentary remain disputed or independently unverified and should not be interpreted as established facts. Blueprint Africa does not endorse claims made by any government, political actor, or organization discussed in this documentary. #UAE #Eritrea #Assab #RedSea #Geopolitics #HornOfAfrica #Yemen #BabElMandeb #DahlakIslands #BlueprintAfrica Music Credit: “Dub Eastern” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.