Saudi Arabia and the UAE Enter a New Phase of Strategic Rivalry Across the Middle East
A widening Gulf dispute over Yemen, influence and security marks a shift from partnership to competition between the region’s two leading powers
Long-standing allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have seen their relationship fracture sharply in recent months, ushering in what analysts, diplomats and regional observers describe as a new phase of rivalry in the Middle East.
Once united in major regional interventions — including the 2015 intervention in Yemen — the two Gulf powers now back opposing factions in the Yemeni conflict, manage divergent foreign policies and pursue competing visions for regional influence.
The most visible manifestation of this rupture has played out in Yemen’s civil war, where Saudi-backed government forces recently retook the key eastern city of Mukalla from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), escalating tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
The UAE’s withdrawal of troops under Saudi pressure has led to logistical disruption on Yemen’s strategic Socotra island, stranding hundreds of foreign tourists and highlighting the operational impact of the rift on the ground.
These developments underscore how the once co-ordinated Gulf alliance has split into competing agendas, with each state leveraging proxies and local partners to pursue its aims.
Strategic divergences extend beyond Yemen.
Analysts note that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have increasingly differed on issues ranging from support for non-state actors to broader geopolitical alignments in the region.
Saudi leaders have voiced deep concerns over Emirati backing for separatist and armed groups, framing it as a threat to regional security, while the UAE has denied accusations of undermining stability.
The unprecedented public accusations and military actions, including Saudi strikes on UAE-linked weapon shipments, have brought tensions into the open and strained the partnership that once anchored Gulf diplomatic objectives.
Underlying the immediate dispute is a broader competition for economic and political leadership in the Middle East.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have pursued parallel but sometimes conflicting strategies — whether in economic diversification, soft power, or regional security — leading to friction in diplomatic and military arenas.
These differences have strained coordination mechanisms that historically kept Gulf Cooperation Council members aligned, and have fueled speculation among foreign policy communities about the emergence of a more fragmented Gulf order.
Despite these tensions, cooperation between the two states has not fully collapsed, and both remain key partners of Western governments on issues such as counter-terrorism, energy markets and broader Middle Eastern stability.
However, the current phase marks a departure from the previously seamless Saudi-Emirati partnership, with immediate implications for the Yemeni conflict and longer-term consequences for regional alignment and power dynamics in the Gulf.
Once united in major regional interventions — including the 2015 intervention in Yemen — the two Gulf powers now back opposing factions in the Yemeni conflict, manage divergent foreign policies and pursue competing visions for regional influence.
The most visible manifestation of this rupture has played out in Yemen’s civil war, where Saudi-backed government forces recently retook the key eastern city of Mukalla from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), escalating tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
The UAE’s withdrawal of troops under Saudi pressure has led to logistical disruption on Yemen’s strategic Socotra island, stranding hundreds of foreign tourists and highlighting the operational impact of the rift on the ground.
These developments underscore how the once co-ordinated Gulf alliance has split into competing agendas, with each state leveraging proxies and local partners to pursue its aims.
Strategic divergences extend beyond Yemen.
Analysts note that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have increasingly differed on issues ranging from support for non-state actors to broader geopolitical alignments in the region.
Saudi leaders have voiced deep concerns over Emirati backing for separatist and armed groups, framing it as a threat to regional security, while the UAE has denied accusations of undermining stability.
The unprecedented public accusations and military actions, including Saudi strikes on UAE-linked weapon shipments, have brought tensions into the open and strained the partnership that once anchored Gulf diplomatic objectives.
Underlying the immediate dispute is a broader competition for economic and political leadership in the Middle East.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have pursued parallel but sometimes conflicting strategies — whether in economic diversification, soft power, or regional security — leading to friction in diplomatic and military arenas.
These differences have strained coordination mechanisms that historically kept Gulf Cooperation Council members aligned, and have fueled speculation among foreign policy communities about the emergence of a more fragmented Gulf order.
Despite these tensions, cooperation between the two states has not fully collapsed, and both remain key partners of Western governments on issues such as counter-terrorism, energy markets and broader Middle Eastern stability.
However, the current phase marks a departure from the previously seamless Saudi-Emirati partnership, with immediate implications for the Yemeni conflict and longer-term consequences for regional alignment and power dynamics in the Gulf.
