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The Conversation
The Conversation
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East at the Baker Institute, Rice University

Saudi-UAE bust-up over Yemen was only a matter of time − and reflects wider rift over vision for the region

Yemen UAE STC United States Mohammed bin Salman Mohammed bin Zayed Abu Dhabi Saudi Arabia Aidarous alZubaidi Riyadh
Supporters of the UAE-backed and recently disbanded Southern Transitional Council hold flags of the former state of South Yemen during a rally in Aden, Yemen, on Jan. 2, 2026. AP Photo

Years of simmering tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates exploded into the open on Dec. 30, 2025.

That’s when Saudi officials accused the UAE of backing separatist groups in Yemen and carried out an airstrike in the southern Yemeni city of Mukalla targeting an alleged shipment of weapons from the UAE to the Southern Transitional Council, one such separatist group.

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