Saudi Accuses UAE of Smuggling Separatist Leader, Gulf Tensions Soar

• Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of smuggling Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), out of Yemen after he missed Riyadh talks.
• Al-Zubaidi reportedly fled Aden by boat to Somaliland, then by aircraft to Mogadishu, eventually tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi.
• The incident deepens a growing diplomatic rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, escalating tensions between the two Gulf allies.
• Saudi Arabia expelled al-Zubaidi and charged him with treason, accusing Abu Dhabi of directing his actions and placing personal interests above national ones.
• The escape has thrown the STC's campaign for an independent southern state into disarray, highlighting internal splits and political overreach.

Why It Matters: Saudi Arabia and UAE tensions escalate over alleged smuggling of Yemeni separatist leader, deepening Gulf rift.