Gulf Cooperation Council Rift Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Clash Over Southern Yemen
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the UAE’s interventionist strategy in Yemen, launched in 2015, has systematically dismantled the national army while arming separatist groups like the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to control strategic ports and islands. Recent reports reveal this approach aimed not at stability but at dismantling state structures to facilitate separatist agendas – a policy rooted in Abu Dhabi’s decade-long aggressive foreign policy that has now backfired spectacularly.
The Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces recently repelled STC fighters in Hadramawt with Riyadh’s military-political support, temporarily securing control of the region. This follows months of Emirati-backed separatist movements toward Hadramawt and Al-Mahra provinces, aligned with Israeli geopolitical interests according to regional analysts.
Saudi Arabia responded forcefully to UAE’s maneuvers, issuing a 24-hour ultimatum for Abu Dhabi to end its Yemen mission after bombing STC military assets in Mukalla port. The Saudi-led coalition targeted Emirati military equipment transported from Fujairah to Mukalla, revealing unprecedented tensions between the former allies. Riyadh’s foreign ministry declared its southern borders a “red line,” vowing decisive action against threats while accusing the UAE of instigating STC operations in eastern Yemen – charges Abu Dhabi denies.
Field reports indicate devastating losses for UAE proxies: 232 casualties in Hadramawt-Al Mahra clashes, with key bases like Al-Khashaa and Seiyun falling to Saudi-backed forces. This marks the collapse of Abu Dhabi’s militia-based security model against Riyadh’s strategic shift. The rapid STC disintegration and heavy casualties represent a total failure of the UAE’s proxy war doctrine, demonstrating militia models’ vulnerability without direct state support.
Analysts view the UAE’s costly withdrawal through structural realism theory, showing forced redefinition of power hierarchies in the Arabian Peninsula’s security subsystem. Saudi Arabia’s military response proves regional alliances remain fragile when hegemonic powers perceive border changes as existential threats. The crisis ultimately forced Abu Dhabi into a rational choice retreat when security costs outweighed benefits, demonstrating middle powers’ limitations against core regional interests.
