Saudi Arabia, one of the engines of global oil supplies, including to India, faced unexpected attacks from the Houthis. Ethiopia, a key African state with a rich legacy, has faced internal strife. The silver lining, however, has been Egypt’s steady leadership to keep the region stable.

India has deep stakes in both Saudi Arabia and North-East Africa. 

While the situation in Saudi Arabia has been understandably getting attention in New Delhi, North and East Africa, including the Horn, has not been the subject of closer study. Stability in the Horn is important for stability in the Red Sea and global trade through the Red Sea. In this context, a stable Ethiopia is imperative. 

Similarly, stability in Somalia and Sudan is also desirable. Both are witnessing internal strife and are subject to the great games played by extra-regional players that have interests in the region and are locked in a battle for supremacy.

On both sides of the Red Sea, the situation remains tense and will impact India’s interests in the short and long term. 

Houthi Attacks, Egypt’s Military Prowess

The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, reaching up to Riyadh, are the biggest security challenge that the Kingdom has ever faced. The Mecca Pact has not delivered - and is unlikely to deliver - given its lack of focus, lack of leadership, and the lack of a common enemy. 

The Pakistan Army has limited capacity to fight a group like the Houthis. Riyadh finally had no options left but to approach its old military ally and the Arab World’s strongest military force, Egypt, to extend support to combat the Houthis. 

Egypt has declared that it is ready to ​provide Saudi Arabia with the support it ​needs to defend its security ‌and stability. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ‌had requested an urgent parliament session to authorise the military to extend support to Riyadh. 

Egypt is a key pillar of the Arab World, and its military has a proven track record in fighting terrorists, insurgents, and militaries to keep the region stable. The Egyptian military is focused on territorial defence, the security of the Suez Canal, counterterrorism in the Sinai Peninsula, and projecting stability across the Mediterranean and Red Sea corridors. 

The Egyptian military is the most formidable military in the African continent and is uniquely positioned to handle any crisis in Africa and the Arab World. It is for no reason that India has decided to expand its military-to-military ties with Egypt. Similarly, India and Saudi Arabia need to step up their strategic partnership and defence industry ties at a time when Indian presence is being felt in the Mediterranean and the wider West Asian region. 

North-East Africa And The Horn 

Ethiopia is facing a severe escalation in regional and internal conflicts, driven by renewed fighting in Tigray, spillovers toward the Eritrean border, and a newly formed coalition of armed opposition groups. 

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of deploying troops into northern Ethiopia and supporting the TPLF-led rebel coalition — claims denied by Asmara. Armed hostilities were reignited in late September 2026 after a coalition of seven armed groups — including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara Fano militia, and the Oromo Liberation Army — challenged Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. Tensions are further fueled by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s public push for landlocked Ethiopia to secure direct maritime access to Eritrean Red Sea ports. 

The Ethiopia-Eritrean war can create instability along the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, impacting India’s trade and global trade. India, which has stepped up its strategic and economic partnership with its old African partner Ethiopia, a BRICS member, needs to carefully study the dynamics of the country and the region and adopt a balanced approach by stepping up ties with Egypt, the most stable power in the region. 

Both Egypt and Ethiopia deserve equal attention from New Delhi. Both are big markets and are civilisational states. Ethiopia has several faultlines and its stability must be closely watched by the establishment in India. India also needs to protect its own interests instead of taking sides in Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea.  

(The writer is a commentator on geopolitics and geoeconomics. Views expressed are personal.)