RIYADH/ABU DHABI/SANAA: The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has alleged that Aidarous al-Zubaidi the influential head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) fled Yemen by sea before boarding a flight from Mogadishu that later landed at a military airbase in Abu Dhabi.
The dramatic development deepens an already serious rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two most powerful Gulf allies whose partnership has shaped the Yemen war that began in 2015. Zubaidi had reportedly been summoned to Riyadh for crisis talks but did not appear, according to Saudi officials. STC representatives said he had been pressured to travel “under threat.”
Coalition vs. UAE: Tensions Laid Bare
The Saudi coalition accused Emirati officers of facilitating Zubaidi’s escape and supervising his movements until the aircraft arrived in Abu Dhabi. If fully confirmed, the episode could intensify Saudi anger at the UAE, which Riyadh has urged to contain separatist forces after they swept across southern Yemen and advanced toward the Saudi border last month.
While the UAE has withdrawn remaining troops from Yemen, it has called for de-escalation even as its assertive regional strategy and backing of southern separatists remain under sharp scrutiny.
STC Divisions and Regional Stakes
Senior STC official Mohammed al-Ghaith said the group’s delegation held “positive discussions” with the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, a signal that internal fractures may be emerging within the separatist movement, complicating stabilization efforts in the south.
The coalition also said the aircraft traveling from Mogadishu switched off its identification system over the Gulf of Oman before reactivating it shortly before landing in Abu Dhabi. It further named the UAE officer allegedly assisting Zubaidi.
A day earlier, coalition authorities stated that Zubaidi had failed to board a scheduled flight to Riyadh and his whereabouts were unclear, fueling uncertainty around negotiations to calm the recent escalation. The STC meanwhile insisted he was overseeing security operations in Aden.
A Fractured Alliance
Saudi Arabia and the UAE jointly intervened in Yemen after the Houthi movement seized Sanaa in 2014. The STC formed in 2017 with Emirati support eventually aligned with the internationally recognized government that controls southern and eastern regions.
But the latest confrontation has thrown open long-standing differences between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi on regional security, power politics, and influence across the Middle East now dramatically exposed through Yemen’s volatile crisis. There has been no immediate public response from either the UAE government or the STC regarding Saudi Arabia’s claims.
-WNN
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