Renewed tensions have emerged between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid ongoing clashes in Yemen. The conflict traces back to 2014, when Houthi rebels captured Sanaa and northern Yemen, while the internationally recognized Yemeni government controlled southern and eastern regions. In December, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) began seizing key eastern territories, including Hadramaut and Al-Marah, aiming for an independent South Yemen, triggering a security crisis in the region.
Saudi Arabia supports the unified Yemeni government, while the UAE provides backing to the STC, creating a rift between the two former allies. Saudi authorities view the STC’s control over resource-rich eastern regions near their borders as a direct threat and had ordered STC forces to withdraw by December 25. The STC ignored the warning, intensifying hostilities.
Alleged UAE support, both financial and military, for the STC has further escalated tensions. On December 28, Saudi forces launched airstrikes targeting Mukalla after reports of a UAE-armed vessel’s arrival, and continued operations over Hadramaut on Friday. Ground clashes between Saudi-supported National Shield Forces and STC troops have been reported, raising concerns that Yemen could slide back into full-scale civil war.