Saudi-UAE fallout and its impact on Yemen's recognised government

"Saudi Arabia's strike on Mukalla port has triggered tensions with its partner in the Arab coalition in Yemen and its Gulf Arab neighbour, the United Arab Emirates. The coalition spokesman, Major-General Turki al-Maliki, said two ships entered the port of Mukalla, carrying more than 80 vehicles and containers of weapons and ammunition destined for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), without informing Saudi Arabia or the internationally recognised Yemeni government."

"There are serious differences between the two allies in Yemen, and now it is at its peak and perhaps a turning point that would impact Yemen. The Yemeni government has lost control of events following a military escalation between Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Hadramout governorate, where Mukalla lies, in December. The Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) is divided into two factions, each loyal to one party in this conflict."

"This conflict of interest between Saudi Arabia and the UAE has been escalating gradually since the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) formed in 2017 as a separatist political and military force seeking an independent state in the south South Yemen an independent state between 1967 and 1990. Earlier in December, the STC forces crossed red lines by controlling all southern governorates, including Hadramout and al-Mahra governorates. That did not go down well in Saudi Arabia, which considered the move a threat to its national security."

Saudi Arabia's strike on Mukalla port has escalated tensions with the United Arab Emirates and exposed sharp disagreements within the Arab coalition operating in Yemen. Two ships allegedly docked at Mukalla carrying over 80 vehicles and containers of weapons and ammunition destined for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council without informing Saudi Arabia or the internationally recognised Yemeni government. Long-simmering rivalries between Saudi Arabia and the UAE surfaced after the STC formed in 2017 and after STC forces seized control of southern governorates in December. The Presidential Leadership Council is split into factions aligned with each Gulf partner, weakening central authority and risking further fragmentation of Yemen, especially in resource-rich Hadramout.

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