Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have sharply escalated following a rupture in their cooperation in Yemen, prompting Riyadh to adopt a more assertive regional strategy to counter Emirati influence.

The dispute stems from clashes late last year when UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council forces seized territory in southern Yemen, triggering Saudi military intervention to restore control for the internationally recognised government and uphold Yemen’s territorial unity, underlining divergent strategic visions within the once-unified anti-Houthi coalition.

Saudi Arabia’s offensive, which included airstrikes and a counter-offensive that recaptured key areas such as Aden and the oil-rich provinces of Hadramout and al-Mahra, has effectively dissolved the Southern Transitional Council, with its leadership dispersing and its declared dissolution and leader’s departure to the UAE deepening the rift and symbolising the breakdown of cooperation on the ground.

The diplomatic fallout has now widened beyond Yemen’s borders, as Riyadh seeks to limit the UAE’s broader regional footprint, particularly in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, where Abu Dhabi has cultivated commercial, military and political influence through bases, ports and security relationships.

Saudi efforts to build closer ties with Egypt and Somalia reflect a strategic push to reintegrate partners into a coalition that counters what Riyadh views as Abu Dhabi’s aggressive expansion and non-state proxies.

Somalia’s decision to cancel defence agreements with the UAE and redirect cooperation underscores Riyadh’s growing clout as it seeks to reassert traditional spheres of influence.

The dispute has also manifested in recalibrations of airspace access, with flights from the UAE reportedly rerouting to avoid Saudi, Egyptian and Somali control, signalling logistical and diplomatic friction.

Saudi officials have characterised the UAE’s backing of non-state actors as a threat to regional stability and strategic security, a stance that speaks to deeper mistrust between the two Gulf powers.

Although the UAE has denied some accusations — including claims about weapons shipments and the existence of clandestine facilities — it maintains it has withdrawn forces from Yemen and rejects characterisations of its actions as destabilising.

The intensifying rivalry reveals the fragility of Gulf alliances once based on shared objectives against Iranian-aligned forces in Yemen and highlights emerging realignments across the region as both kingdoms vie for leadership and influence in a rapidly shifting geopolitical environment.