Rabbabt – UAE said today that it will withdraw its remaining units from Yemen, amid a series of back-and-forth statements with Saudi Arabia in one of the most unprecedented rifts within the GCC.
In a statement, the UAE’s Ministry of Defense pledged its commitment in support of legitimacy in Yemen and in backing efforts to combat “terrorist organizations” in favor of Yemen’s security and stability.
“The UAE has made great sacrifices in achieving these objectives,” the ministry said, suggesting that it concluded its military presence in Yemen in 2019 after it completed the assigned missions within the agreed official frameworks.
“The remaining presence was limited to specialised personnel as part of counterterrorism efforts,” the UAE said.
It said that it terminated the remaining “counterterrorism” personnel in Yemen of its own volition in light of recent developments.
The statement came after Saudi Arabia’s remarks, accusing the UAE of exerting pressure on southern transitional council forces to “conduct military operations on the southern borders.
Saudi Arabia described the decisions as a “threat to the Kingdom’s national security, and the security and stability of the Republic of Yemen and the region.”
It also urged the UAE to accept Yemen’s request for all of its forces to leave the country within 24 hours, halting any military or financial support to any party within Yemen.
The UAE responded to Saudi Arabia’s statement, saying that its remarks contain “inaccuracies” regarding Abu Dhabi’s role in the ongoing developments in Yemen.
“The UAE categorically rejects any attempt to implicate the country in tensions among Yemeni parties and strongly denounces allegations that it exerted pressure on, or issued directives to, any Yemeni party to undertake military operations that would undermine the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or target its borders,” the UAE said in a statement.
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International media, including Reuters, said the feud reflects a “simmering distrust” between the two Gulf countries.
“The airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition early on Tuesday on the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla was followed by calls on all UAE forces to leave Yemen, and a statement from Riyadh that its national security was a red line,” Reuters wrote.
The news outlet also quoted a source from the Gulf who said that the feud was triggered by a “misperception resulting from talks in Washington” between Saudi Arabia’s MBS and US President Donald Trump about the war in Sudan.
“High-level talks, including phone calls between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, had taken place since December, though they had not yet yielded results on the ground, the source said,” Reuters reported.
