Saudi Arabia called for urgent talks among Yemen’s southern political and military factions in Riyadh, after a sharp escalation in fighting exposed an unprecedented rift between Riyadh and its longtime ally, the United Arab Emirates.
The appeal followed days of clashes in southern Yemen that have pitted Saudi-backed government forces against UAE-supported separatists, raising fears the conflict could fracture the anti-Houthi alliance and destabilize territory along Saudi Arabia’s border.
In a statement published on social media, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry urged the Yemeni government to convene “a comprehensive conference in Riyadh” bringing together all southern factions to seek “just solutions to the southern cause.”
The ministry said the talks were necessary to prevent further escalation after UAE-backed forces accused Saudi-aligned troops of launching ground attacks supported by Saudi airstrikes. On Friday, the separatists declared that a “war” had begun in the south.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have both intervened militarily in Yemen since 2015 to support the internationally recognized government against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. However, the coalition has fractured in recent years, with Riyadh backing the central government while Abu Dhabi has supported southern separatist groups.
The latest violence erupted earlier this month when the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which seeks an independent state in southern Yemen, launched a large-scale offensive in eastern provinces. The group rapidly seized territory from government forces, including parts of oil-rich Hadramawt, which borders Saudi Arabia.
The STC said the operation was aimed at restoring security in the south. Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), however, condemned the move as a rebellion. PLC chairman Rashad al-Alimi warned that the separatist push risked splintering the country and plunging the region into further instability.
Tensions intensified after airstrikes attributed to the Saudi-led coalition. On Friday, an STC official said seven people were killed when an airstrike hit a separatist military camp in Hadramawt.
Earlier in the week, coalition aircraft struck Yemen’s southern port city of Mukalla. The Saudi-led coalition accused the UAE of delivering military equipment to the separatists by sea. Images shared online showed burned vehicles near the port, though no casualties were reported.
The UAE rejected the accusation, saying the shipment contained no weapons and that the vehicles were intended for Emirati forces operating in Yemen.
In response to the strikes, the head of Yemen’s Presidential Council announced the cancellation of a joint defense agreement with the UAE and ordered all Emirati forces to leave the country within 24 hours.
Saudi Arabia backed the demand, accusing Abu Dhabi of pressuring the STC to launch its offensive near Saudi borders. The Saudi foreign ministry said the kingdom’s national security was a “red line.”
The UAE denied orchestrating the separatist campaign but, in a move that surprised many observers, later agreed to withdraw its forces from Yemen.
The sudden de-escalation comes as Yemen remains mired in a decade-long conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations.
