UAE Completes Full Military Withdrawal from Yemen Amid Regional Tensions
The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense announced on Friday evening that all of its military forces have fully withdrawn from Yemen. The ministry stated that the troop withdrawal was part of a recent decision to end remaining missions and was coordinated with international partners.
According to an official statement from the UAE Ministry of Defense, the counterterrorism teams’ mission in Yemen has concluded, and the troop withdrawal process is complete. Earlier on Tuesday, the ministry had announced the end of these teams’ missions in line with rapid political and security developments in Yemen.
Alongside these developments, Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council supported by Saudi Arabia, announced the cancellation of the joint defense agreement with the UAE—a move that resulted in the complete exit of Emirati forces within 24 hours. He also declared a renewable 90-day state of emergency to confront what he described as attempts to divide the country.
On the same day, the Saudi-led Arab coalition targeted military equipment and vehicles transferred from the UAE’s Fujairah port to Al Mukalla port in Yemen with airstrikes. The Saudi Foreign Ministry stressed that the kingdom’s national security is a red line and any threats along its southern borders will be met with decisive responses.
At the same time, Riyadh accused the UAE of inciting the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to conduct military operations in Hadramawt and Al Mahrah provinces—claims rejected by the UAE Foreign Ministry, which reaffirmed its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security.
Since early December, the STC forces have taken control of Hadramawt and Al Mahrah—the two provinces covering nearly half of Yemen’s territory. This development has met broad domestic, regional, and international opposition and criticism.
In this context, Ahmed Saeed bin Brik, deputy chairman of the STC, declared that the establishment of a South Arabian state is closer than ever. The STC, claiming that southern Yemen has long been marginalized, demands separation from the north—a position rejected by Yemen’s self-declared government, which insists on preserving national unity.
Yemen was unified on May 22, 1990, through the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic in the north and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen in the south, forming a single country. This unity now faces serious challenges amid recent developments.
