The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that it will withdraw its remaining troops from Saudi Arabia, following the Kingdom’s airstrike on Yemen’s port city Mukalla, which reportedly targeted a shipment allegedly sent from the UAE.
According to a statement quoted by Bloomberg, the UAE Ministry of Defense said the decision was driven by concerns over safety and the effectiveness of counterterrorism operations. The UAE emphasized that the withdrawal was voluntary and based on security assessments.
Rejecting accusations that it had supplied weapons to Yemen, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that its role in Yemen has always focused on supporting legitimacy and combating terrorism, while fully respecting Yemen’s sovereignty. The UAE clarified that the shipment targeted by Saudi forces contained vehicles meant for UAE military use, not weapons.
The UAE has repeatedly maintained that Yemen’s governance and territorial matters must be decided by Yemen’s own political stakeholders, reaffirming its stance on respecting internal decision-making.
What Happened in Mukalla? Key Developments
- On Tuesday, a shipment from Fujairah, UAE reached Yemen’s Mukalla port. Shortly after, Saudi forces launched strikes, alleging the shipment contained weapons intended for the Southern Transitional Council (STC) — a UAE-backed separatist faction pushing for southern Yemen’s sovereignty since 2017.
- The UAE denied these claims, stating the shipment only carried military vehicles.
- Following the port strike, additional airstrikes were carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.
- Tensions had already been escalating earlier in the month after the STC seized key territories in Hadramout and Mahra, including oil facilities.
- Opposing the STC is Yemen’s national military, allied with the Hadramout Tribal Alliance, a Saudi-supported tribal coalition.
- Both Saudi Arabia and UAE support rival political factions within Yemen, intensifying regional tensions in an already strategic and volatile region positioned along vital global shipping routes.
- The STC’s strengthened foothold in southern Yemen could significantly influence upcoming peace negotiations, as the group continues to demand self-determination for the south.
- Just days earlier, Saudi Arabia conducted separate airstrikes in Hadramout, widely viewed by analysts as a warning to halt separatist advances.
The latest developments further deepen regional tensions and may reshape power balances within the ongoing Yemen conflict, which has already endured years of instability and humanitarian crisis.