The Bab Al Mandeb strait is just 18 miles wide, but a large slice of global trade passes through its vital waters every day. To its north is a war zone in Yemen, and to its south sits Djibouti, a tiny but strategically crucial East African nation. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, we dissect the importance of Bab Al Mandeb, both economically and geopolitcally. Listen here: Host Charlie Mitchell talks with Jennifer Gnana, who covers energy and business for <em>The National</em>, about the importance of Bab Al Mandeb for global shipping and markets. And Ahmed Soliman, a researcher on the Horn of Africa with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London, offers insight into the geopolitical realities in the Horn, which have sparked a scramble to secure the strait. <strong>Subscribe to Beyond the Headlines to receive new episodes every week:</strong> <strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-headlines/id1256040890?mt=2&uo=4">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ5MTUzNzQucnNz">Google Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2eHdXMr3IPqw0wkq65mINS">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://castbox.fm/channel/Beyond-the-Headlines-id976858?country=us">Castbox</a> | <a href="https://castbox.fm/channel/Beyond-the-Headlines-id976858?country=us">Audioboom</a> | <a href="https://audioboom.com/channels/4915374.rss">RSS</a></strong> <strong>___</strong> <strong>Read more:</strong>