ALBAWABA- Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council declared a 90-day state of emergency after Saudi-led coalition airstrikes targeted UAE-backed weapons shipments unloaded at the port of Mukalla in eastern Yemen, marking the sharpest escalation yet in the deepening rift between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over influence in the country.
According to the coalition, two vessels entered Mukalla port on December 27–28 without authorization from the Joint Forces Command and disabled their tracking systems before unloading large quantities of weapons and combat vehicles.
The coalition said the arms were intended for forces loyal to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra, amid growing clashes with Saudi-backed forces and tribal groups aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said the shipments constituted “foreign military support” delivered in violation of the ceasefire and UN Security Council Resolution 2216. He added that the arms transfer aimed to fuel internal conflict rather than confront the Houthi movement, which controls much of northern Yemen.
In a statement, al-Maliki said coalition air forces carried out a “limited and precise military operation” targeting weapons and vehicles already unloaded at Mukalla port, following a formal request from the president of the Presidential Leadership Council to protect civilians in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra. He said the strike complied with international humanitarian law and caused no collateral damage.
The Saudi-led coalition said it would continue efforts to de-escalate tensions in eastern Yemen while preventing any country from supplying weapons to Yemeni factions without coordination with the recognized government and the coalition. “Such actions threaten security and stability and risk expanding the conflict,” al-Maliki said.
The escalation highlights a growing direct confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in Yemen, despite both countries being nominal partners in the coalition formed in 2015. Each side now backs rival Yemeni armed groups, with Yemeni fighters increasingly acting as proxies in a struggle for territorial control and influence, particularly in the resource-rich east.
While Saudi Arabia supports forces operating under the Presidential Leadership Council, including local security units and Salafi-leaning armed groups, the UAE has continued backing the STC and allied militias, deepening fragmentation within the anti-Houthi camp. Analysts warn that this rivalry has allowed the Houthis to consolidate their position by exploiting divisions among their opponents.
Meanwhile, in a televised address, Presidential Leadership Council President Rashad al-Alimi announced the 90-day emergency and ordered UAE forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours. He also cancelled defense agreements with Abu Dhabi, accusing the UAE of supporting separatist and “terrorist” groups and bearing full responsibility for the escalation.
Al-Alimi called on the United Nations to intervene and hold the UAE accountable, warning that unchecked arms transfers and rival military agendas risk plunging Yemen into a new phase of internal conflict, even as the country remains mired in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
