Reparation

The Saudis decided to enter an ongoing civil war in Yemen in 2015 for several reasons. The two countries share a long border at the southern end of their peninsula. This length of this border is matched by Yemen’s coastline on the Arabian Sea, an access to ocean waters that Saudi Arabia does not have. Even more important is that the southeast corner of Yemen sits at the point where the Red Sea flows into the Arabian Sea through a very narrow passageway. This would enable the Saudis to control shipping through the Red Sea. Furthermore, Yemen has oil that generates revenue from contracts with private producers. Yemen also has natural gas as well as fish, rock salt, marble and small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper.