Saudi-UAE Rivalry Ignites Yemen Conflict, Threatens West Asia Stability

• Saudi-UAE rivalry has escalated into a military confrontation in Yemen, marked by a Saudi airstrike on Mukalla port on December 30, 2025, targeting alleged UAE arms shipments to the Southern Transitional Council (STC).
• The conflict stems from both nations' pursuit of regional influence, control over vital trade routes like the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and economic interests in Yemen's strategic ports and resource-rich areas like Hadhramaut.
• The UAE supports STC's autonomy in southern Yemen to secure maritime control, while Saudi Arabia backs the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) for a unified Yemen and its own border security.
• Recent developments include PLC cancelling its defence pact with the UAE and Saudi Arabia issuing an ultimatum for UAE forces to withdraw, further fragmenting the Yemeni government.
• This escalating rivalry risks empowering Houthi forces, deepening Yemen's instability, and threatening critical Red Sea trade, exacerbating fragility across West Asia.

Why It Matters: Escalating Saudi-UAE rivalry in Yemen fuels instability, threatens trade, and empowers Houthis, deepening West Asia's fragility.