A decade after fighting side by side in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, once the closest of Gulf allies, are now locked in an unusually public confrontation. Once close allies, the two countries are now backing rival groups in Yemen.
How Two Allies Ended Up On Opposite Sides
Saudi Arabia and the UAE were once aligned, both politically and militarily. As Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rose to prominence a decade ago, he was compared to the UAE's de facto ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
In 2015, the two countries also jointly led a military intervention in Yemen to curb Iran's influence by fighting the Houthis, who had seized the capital, Sana'a.
Today, the relationship has frayed. The two nations are competing for influence across the Middle East, Africa and beyond, with Yemen emerging as the most volatile flashpoint.
Tensions came into the open this week when Saudi Arabia struck a UAE shipment carrying combat vehicles bound for Yemen and accused Abu Dhabi of “highly dangerous” actions that threatened Saudi national security, CNN reported.
Who Is Fighting Whom Inside Yemen?
Since the Houthis captured Yemen's capital, Sana'a, in 2014, the country has splintered into rival zones of control, allowing regional powers to step in. The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, are a Shiite Islamist group based in north-western Yemen.
After taking the capital with some public support, they became the country's strongest military and political force, backed by sustained Iranian arms supplies. They now control much of Yemen's north-western border with Saudi Arabia and a key stretch of Red Sea coastline, giving them access to vital shipping routes, CNN reported.
Facing the Houthis is Yemen's internationally recognised government, operating under the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council formed in 2022. Its forces, made up of army remnants, tribal militias and Sunni Islamist groups, hold scattered areas in Marib, Taiz and the southern city of Aden, with support from Saudi air, naval and limited ground operations.
Adding to the complexity is the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed separatist group formed in 2017. The STC seeks to revive an independent southern Yemen that ceased to exist in 1990.
Why Are Saudi Arabia And The UAE Clashing Now?
While both countries entered Yemen in 2015 with a shared objective, their long-term visions changed. Saudi Arabia has backed a unified Yemeni state along its southern border. The UAE, in contrast, has supported southern separatists, a stance that clashes directly with Saudi interests.
After years of stalled peace efforts, tensions rose in December 2025 when UAE-backed forces launched an offensive to seize oil-rich provinces, at times fighting Saudi-backed units. The situation escalated further when Saudi-led airstrikes hit a UAE shipment at Mukalla port, prompting Abu Dhabi to announce a withdrawal from Yemen.
Despite this, the standoff deepened. On January 2, 2026, Saudi Arabia deployed naval forces off Yemen's coast after Riyadh-backed troops began what they called a “peaceful” ground offensive against UAE-backed separatists.
The STC rejected that claim, accused Saudi Arabia of misleading the international community, and said its positions were hit by Saudi airstrikes.
Where Does This Leave Yemen Now?
Years of war have shattered Yemen's economy and pushed its people into deep hardship, the BBC reported. In 2021, the United Nations estimated that about 3.77 lakh people had died from the conflict and its effects on hunger and healthcare.
Yemen watchers say the escalation was inevitable. They point to the STC's long-standing ambitions, which have grown as it tightened control over much of southern Yemen.
