DUBAI : The United Arab Emirates said it was alarmed by the fast-developing situation in Yemen, urging all Yemeni parties to prioritise dialogue and avoid further escalation that could undermine security.
The crisis has exposed a widening rift between long-time Gulf allies, with Saudi Arabia backing the internationally recognised Yemeni government, while the UAE has supported southern separatists under the Southern Transitional Council (STC). The split has fractured the coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi movement.
Saudi-backed forces said they had taken control of key locations in Hadramout province, including parts of the capital Mukalla, after sweeping into territories the STC had seized last month. Authorities in Hadramout said STC fighters would be granted safe passage to withdraw towards Aden.
The STC, which has long been part of the internationally recognised government, accused Saudi-backed forces of a military escalation in eastern Yemen and appealed for regional and international intervention. It also alleged attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure by northern Islamist factions allied with the government.
The escalation came hours after the STC announced plans for a two-year transition period leading to a referendum on independence for a new South Arabian state, its clearest signal yet of its intention to secede.
President of Yemen’s Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi, said he had asked Saudi Arabia to host a forum aimed at resolving the southern issue and uniting rival factions. Meanwhile, Aden airport, the main transport hub for areas outside Houthi control, has remained closed since Thursday following a dispute over flight restrictions involving the UAE, with both sides trading blame.
The crisis began last month when the STC seized large swathes of territory, asserting control over much of the former South Yemen, which merged with the north in 1990. The move prompted the internationally recognised government to relocate to Saudi Arabia, viewing the southern advance as a direct security threat.
Analysts say the dispute marks the most serious rupture in decades between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, raising concerns about wider regional fallout. The implications may soon extend beyond Yemen, with both countries set to meet under the OPEC framework to discuss oil output policy.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on a base in Hadramout and demanded the withdrawal of remaining UAE forces from Yemen, a request the UAE said it had complied with. As fighting and political manoeuvring intensify, Yemen, strategically located near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a vital global shipping route, faces renewed uncertainty over its unity and future stability.
The UAE has expressed concern over the escalating crisis in Yemen, urging dialogue among Yemeni factions to prevent further destabilization. The conflict has highlighted a growing divide between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with the former supporting the Yemeni government and the latter backing southern separatists. The situation threatens regional stability and complicates efforts to resolve the conflict.