Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over Yemen have deepened following a military confrontation in January, where a Saudi-led offensive against a UAE-backed separatist group reshaped the conflict’s dynamics. The clash, aimed at preventing the re-emergence of a southern breakaway state, marked a turning point in their shared anti-Houthi efforts, with the UAE effectively withdrawing its support in response. Analysts now warn that Riyadh faces pressure to mend ties with Abu Dhabi if it hopes to assemble a unified military coalition capable of countering the Houthi insurgency. The dispute underscores the fragile alliances shaping the war’s future.
Relations between two countries soured in January when a UAE-backed force was defeated by SaudisSaudi Arabia is being urged to reconcile with the United Arab Emirates over Yemen as the price Riyadh must pay to form a military alliance capable of driving the Houthis back.Relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia in Yemen, where both had backed anti-Houthi forces, plummeted in January this year when a force with which the UAE had been aligned – the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) – was attacked and defeated by Saudi Arabia in a move intended to squash its attempt to recreate a separate southern state. The UAE subsequently in effect quit Yemen. Continue reading...
