Saudi Arabia is leveraging the escalating ot its dispute with the United Arab Emirates over Yemen to advance a wider set of regional power recalibrations, extending beyond the Yemeni theater to strategic islands and the Horn of Africa. As Abu Dhabi expanded its security and economic footprint through port and airport investments and partnerships with regional capitals, areas Riyadh views as part of its vital security sphere. Saudi Arabia has moved to counter Emirati influence and assert its strategic interests.
Within this context, Saudi Arabia moved quickly to secure a presence on both sides of the Gulf of Aden, encompassing southern Yemen and northern Somalia. The effort is part of a broader strategy to control one of the region’s most important maritime corridors. For Riyadh, reducing the Emirati footprint in Somalia constitutes a strategic gain in itself, even if achieved indirectly rather than through direct Saudi intervention. Riyadh is also working to expand its influence across the Horn of Africa, relying on strong ties with several regional states, especially Eritrea and Djibouti, both of which have previously dismantled Emirati military bases on their territory.
On the southern shore of the Gulf of Aden, Saudi Arabia is strengthening its control through local proxies, particularly the Homeland Shield Forces and the Giants Brigades, across eastern and western provinces of southern Yemen. Saudi military personnel have deployed to these areas and begun efforts to reunify fragmented armed factions under a Saudi-aligned framework. Officers have also reportedly arrived on Yemen’s strategic islands, especially Socotra and Mayyun, as well as the port city of Mokha on the western coast, which remains under control by forces loyal to Tareq Saleh and backed by the UAE. Together, these moves point to a coordinated campaign to encircle and gradually erode the Emirati presence. Riyadh has also shown flexibility in dealing with factions previously aligned with Abu Dhabi, several of which have formed a committee to realign their loyalties in line with Saudi interests.
Across the Gulf of Aden, Somalia has cancelled all agreements with the UAE, including cooperation on the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo, as well as security and defense arrangements. While it is unclear whether Saudi Arabia played a direct role, the broader regional context, the timing of events in eastern Yemen and Somalia, and the open rivalry between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi suggest that Saudi influence was not far removed from the political climate that enabled the decision.
Somali authorities had obtained the flight’s passenger manifest of STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi, which did not include his name.
Somalia’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Ali Mohamed Omar, said the decision to cancel all agreements with the UAE followed a careful review of years of mounting tensions in bilateral relations. He explained that the Somali cabinet acted in response to what it called “Emirati actions that undermine Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and independence.” The cancelled agreements included sensitive provisions that allowed Abu Dhabi to use Somali ports and airports and establish military bases. Mogadishu, it appeared, had been waiting for the right political moment to act. In a televised interview, Omar said the Emirati bases should have been closed long ago and emphasized that all Emirati personnel were required to leave Somali territory in line with the cabinet’s decision.
Against this backdrop, the departure of Southern Transitional Council leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi from Aden to Somalia before traveling on to the UAE sparked widespread controversy over a perceived breach of Somali sovereignty. The episode was amplified by Saudi media, including a leaked phone call upon al-Zubaidi’s arrival in Somalia, which appeared deliberate. Tensions were further heightened by the fact that al-Zubaidi was accompanied by Major General Awad Saeed bin Musleh al-Ahbabi, the commander of joint operations at the UAE Ministry of Defense. Somali authorities later cited this detail as part of the rationale for cancelling the agreements.
On Tuesday, Somalia’s foreign minister revealed that the UAE had secretly transported al-Zubaidi from Berbera to Mogadishu before placing him on another aircraft bound for Abu Dhabi, calling the move a “serious violation.” Somali authorities had obtained the flight’s passenger manifest, which did not list al-Zubaidi’s name. Citing what he described as reliable intelligence showing that al-Zubaidi had been concealed onboard, the minister said the incident alone was enough to justify cancelling all port and security agreements with the UAE, while emphasizing that it was not the only factor behind the decision.
Source:https://en.al-akhbar.com/news/saudi-arabia-takes-the-fight-with-the-uae-to-the-red-sea
