Yemeni Activist Warns of Intensifying Saudi-UAE Rivalry in Yemen
Nabil Al-Hadda, head of a human rights organization in Yemen, has warned that the covert competition between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for control over various parts of Yemen has entered a new phase. He stated that what is unfolding in Yemen is not merely a civil war, but rather a battleground for regional powers seeking to expand their political and military influence.
According to Al-Hadda, the UAE is working to solidify its presence on strategically important islands in southern Yemen, while Saudi Arabia is expanding its influence in the eastern province of Hadhramaut. He described these developments as a continuation of the long-standing rivalry between the two nations over control of critical economic and geographic routes.
Al-Hadda emphasized that the Saudi- and UAE-led military coalition, which launched extensive operations in Yemen in recent years, has failed to achieve its stated goals and is facing setbacks on the ground. He asserted that despite external pressures, the Yemeni people have resisted foreign influence.
He added that Yemen is also standing up to U.S. intervention and Israeli threats, and for this reason, yielding to the influence and demands of these two regional powers is considered unjustified. Political analysts believe that such rivalries risk prolonging Yemen’s humanitarian and political crisis and further eroding the role of the Yemeni people in future decision-making.
