Saudi strikes target UAE-backed faction in Yemen, exposing Gulf rift

Saudi air and artillery strikes on positions held by a UAE-backed faction in Yemen have underscored an escalating dispute between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, according to reporting by the Financial Times. The action, described by regional analysts as a serious breach in coordination, reflects widening strategic differences over Yemen’s future and the balance of influence across the Arabian Peninsula.

For years the two Gulf powers collaborated against the Houthi movement and in shaping Yemen’s post-war order. But the UAE’s support for southern separatists and local security actors has increasingly diverged from Saudi Arabia’s preference for restoring and stabilising the internationally recognised government in Sanaa’s vicinity. The recent strikes — aimed at forces aligned with the southern movement backed by the UAE — brought those differences into the open, complicating a previously united front.

The incident has immediate implications for on-the-ground dynamics in Yemen: it risks further destabilising ceasefires, provoking reprisals from local factions, and undermining fragile governance arrangements. Diplomatically, the episode raises questions about the cohesion of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the degree to which intra-Gulf rivalries might spill into broader regional politics.

Observers say the rift could affect more than security policy. Economic and energy markets remain sensitive to perceptions of instability in the Gulf. While immediate disruptions to oil supplies are unlikely, prolonged diplomatic friction between two major Gulf states could weigh on investor confidence and complicate joint regional initiatives.

International actors have called for restraint and for a return to coordinated diplomacy to prevent escalation. Analysts urge clear communication channels between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to manage shared security objectives even as they pursue divergent political strategies in Yemen. The episode illustrates how tactical disagreements over local partners and political settlements can morph into strategic fissures, with consequences that extend beyond Yemen to regional security and economic stability.