The Bab-el-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.

Host Charlie Mitchell talks with Jennifer Gnana, who covers energy and business for The National, 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.