Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates relations

Intervention in Yemen: CE

← Previous revision Revision as of 18:14, 11 April 2026 Line 34: Line 34: In July 2019, the UAE withdrew its forces from the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen following reported disagreements over the prospects of military victory, Emirati opposition to Islamist militias in northern Yemen, and Saudi support for Yemeni President [[Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi]].<ref>{{cite web|date=11 July 2019|title=U.A.E. Pulls Most Forces From Yemen in Blow to Saudi War Effort|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/world/middleeast/yemen-emirates-saudi-war.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=11 July 2019|work=Middle East Monitor|title=Saudi Arabia's dilemma as the UAE pulls out of Yemen|url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190715-saudi-arabias-dilemma-as-the-uae-pulls-out-of-yemen/}}</ref> Since then, Saudi- and UAE-backed forces have occasionally engaged in hostility, and in December 2025 the STC [[2025 Southern Yemen offensive|took over the vast majority of Yemeni government territory]]. This has led to strained relations between the two countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Situation in South Yemen strains relations between Saudi Arabia and UAE |url=https://www.commonspace.eu/index.php/news/situation-south-yemen-strains-relations-between-saudi-arabia-and-uae |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=commonspace.eu |language=en}}</ref> In July 2019, the UAE withdrew its forces from the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen following reported disagreements over the prospects of military victory, Emirati opposition to Islamist militias in northern Yemen, and Saudi support for Yemeni President [[Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi]].<ref>{{cite web|date=11 July 2019|title=U.A.E. Pulls Most Forces From Yemen in Blow to Saudi War Effort|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/world/middleeast/yemen-emirates-saudi-war.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=11 July 2019|work=Middle East Monitor|title=Saudi Arabia's dilemma as the UAE pulls out of Yemen|url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190715-saudi-arabias-dilemma-as-the-uae-pulls-out-of-yemen/}}</ref> Since then, Saudi- and UAE-backed forces have occasionally engaged in hostility, and in December 2025 the STC [[2025 Southern Yemen offensive|took over the vast majority of Yemeni government territory]]. This has led to strained relations between the two countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Situation in South Yemen strains relations between Saudi Arabia and UAE |url=https://www.commonspace.eu/index.php/news/situation-south-yemen-strains-relations-between-saudi-arabia-and-uae |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=commonspace.eu |language=en}}</ref>

During the [[2025 Southern Yemen offensive]], the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council launched an offensive on the Saudi-backed Government of Yemen and [[Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance]] in [[Hadhramaut Governorate]]. This resulted in further deterioration in Saudi-UAE relations as Saudi Arabia began launching airstrikes on UAE-backed positions and the port of [[Mukalla]], Yemen, targeting a ship with weapons and armored vehicles delivered from the United Arab Emirates Which was for the use of United Arab Emirates but misunderstood as supplies for the STC and later on it was announced that it wasn’t for the STC but for UAE military operations. On 30 December, the anti-Houthi Saudi-backed Yemeni forces declared a state of emergency, cancelled its cooperation with the UAE and ordered all Emirati forces to withdraw from its territories within 24 hours which they gladly did.<ref>{{Cite web |last=español |first=JON GAMBRELL Leer en |date=2025-12-30 |title=Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen port over weapons shipment from UAE, issues warning to Abu Dhabi |url=https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-bomb-yemen-mukalla-weapons-uae-9fc56e4678a12f56d61b1ecf855d4a4e |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> The STC offensive has led to what observers described as a "rupture" in the two's bilateral relationship,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bianco |first1=Cincia |title=From partners to rivals: What the Saudi-UAE rupture means for Europeans |url=https://ecfr.eu/article/from-partners-to-rivals-what-the-saudi-uae-rupture-means-for-europeans/ |publisher=[[European Council on Foreign Relations]] |access-date=24 January 2026 |date=13 January 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Cafiero |first1=Giorgio |title=The Trump Administration and the Fracturing Saudi-UAE Alliance |url=https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-trump-administration-and-the-fracturing-saudi-uae-alliance/ |publisher=[[Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies|ACRPS]] |access-date=24 January 2026 |date=21 January 2026}}</ref> with Saudi media outlets and commentators publishing attacks on UAE.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prominent Saudi academic accuses UAE of being Israel's 'trojan horse' |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/prominent-saudi-academic-accuses-uae-being-israels-trojan-horse |access-date=24 January 2026 |work=Middle East Eye |date=23 January 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Saudi Arabian media steps up attacks on UAE as Gulf rift deepens |url=https://www.ft.com/content/345f5fa7-fd03-451e-b656-93a56209237d |access-date=24 January 2026 |work=[[Financial Times]] |date=21 January 2026}}</ref> During the [[2025 Southern Yemen offensive]], the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council launched an offensive on the Saudi-backed Government of Yemen and [[Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance]] in [[Hadhramaut Governorate]]. This resulted in further deterioration in Saudi-UAE relations, as Saudi Arabia began launching airstrikes on UAE-backed positions and the port of [[Mukalla]] in Yemen. Among the targets was a ship carrying weapons and armored vehicles delivered from the UAE. The shipment was for the use of United Arab Emirates but misunderstood as supplies for the STC and later on it was announced that it wasn’t for the STC but for UAE military operations. On 30 December, the anti-Houthi Saudi-backed Yemeni forces declared a state of emergency, cancelled its cooperation with the UAE and ordered all Emirati forces to withdraw from its territories within 24 hours which they gladly did.<ref>{{Cite web |last=español |first=JON GAMBRELL Leer en |date=2025-12-30 |title=Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen port over weapons shipment from UAE, issues warning to Abu Dhabi |url=https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-bomb-yemen-mukalla-weapons-uae-9fc56e4678a12f56d61b1ecf855d4a4e |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> The STC offensive has led to what observers described as a "rupture" in the two's bilateral relationship,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bianco |first1=Cincia |title=From partners to rivals: What the Saudi-UAE rupture means for Europeans |url=https://ecfr.eu/article/from-partners-to-rivals-what-the-saudi-uae-rupture-means-for-europeans/ |publisher=[[European Council on Foreign Relations]] |access-date=24 January 2026 |date=13 January 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Cafiero |first1=Giorgio |title=The Trump Administration and the Fracturing Saudi-UAE Alliance |url=https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-trump-administration-and-the-fracturing-saudi-uae-alliance/ |publisher=[[Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies|ACRPS]] |access-date=24 January 2026 |date=21 January 2026}}</ref> with Saudi media outlets and commentators publishing attacks on UAE.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prominent Saudi academic accuses UAE of being Israel's 'trojan horse' |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/prominent-saudi-academic-accuses-uae-being-israels-trojan-horse |access-date=24 January 2026 |work=Middle East Eye |date=23 January 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Saudi Arabian media steps up attacks on UAE as Gulf rift deepens |url=https://www.ft.com/content/345f5fa7-fd03-451e-b656-93a56209237d |access-date=24 January 2026 |work=[[Financial Times]] |date=21 January 2026}}</ref>

=== Saudi-Emirati Diplomatic Crisis (2025 - Ongoing) === === Saudi-Emirati Diplomatic Crisis (2025 - Ongoing) ===