The political scientist spoke about the struggle between the Emirates and Saudi Arabia for influence in Yemen

Vasily Ostanin-Golovnya, a researcher at the Department of the Middle and Post-Soviet East at the INION RAS, noted in an interview with Izvestia that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are usually considered great friends and allies, including within the framework of the Arab coalition in Yemen, but there are contradictions between them.

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"The events in the east of Yemen, in Hadramaut, are a new, rather alarming round of rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates for influence in Yemen," the political scientist believes.

According to him, the interests of three parties intersect in the current conflict: the official government of Yemen, which supports Riyadh, the Houthis, who are assisted by Iran, and the UPS, which is actually a proxy of the UAE.

A new confrontation broke out in early December in the oil-rich province of Hadramaut, located in eastern Yemen. The forces of the Southern Transitional Council (UPC), which partially control the south of the country and advocate the separation of this territory, announced Operation Promising Future.

According to the expert, the current escalation is not accidental.

"In many ways, it reflects the profound transformation of the Arab coalition, initially created in 2015 under the Saudi leadership to counter the Houthis. Gradually, a split line has emerged between the interests of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi," the expert believes.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

Arab Winter: the interests of the UAE and Saudi Arabia intersect in Yemen

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