Saudi-UAE: Brothers to Rivals in 14 Years, Yemen Strike Ignites Tensions

• A Saudi airstrike on a UAE-linked weapons shipment in Yemen marks the most significant escalation between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to date.
• Over 14 years, Saudi Arabia and UAE transformed from regional security pillars to rivals, with diverging interests from oil quotas to geopolitical influence.
• Initial cooperation during Arab Spring, Yemen intervention, and Qatar boycott shifted to rivalry with UAE's Yemen withdrawal and Abraham Accords.
• Economic competition intensified with Saudi challenging Dubai's dominance, altering tariffs, and a rare OPEC dispute over oil production.
• Recent Yemen tensions include UAE-backed STC seizing Hadramout oilfields and Saudi striking a vessel delivering weapons to separatists.

Why It Matters: Saudi Arabia and UAE's 14-year journey from allies to rivals culminates in direct military action in Yemen.