Saudi Arabia warns UAE at UN that threats cross a red line

Friday 16 January 2026 - 08:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Saudi Arabia warns UAE at UN that threats cross a red line

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Nations delivered a firm warning to the Security Council, stating that any threat to the kingdom's national security represents a "red line" that will be addressed and neutralized. Abdulaziz Alwasil's remarks followed weeks of escalating friction between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over UAE-backed separatist forces in Yemen, a dispute that has reshaped power dynamics in the war-torn nation.

Tensions boiled over after the UAE-supported Southern Transitional Council launched "Operation Promising Future" on December 2, 2025, sweeping through southern Yemen to seize the oil-rich governorates of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra near the Saudi border. Riyadh viewed the advance as a direct peril and responded with airstrikes, including a December 30 strike on the port city of Mukalla targeting what Saudi officials called a UAE arms shipment.

The Saudi counteroffensive prompted a dramatic turnaround. Yemen's internationally recognized government ordered UAE forces to leave within 24 hours, and the UAE announced the withdrawal of its remaining troops. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed the UAE's exit during a press conference in Istanbul, describing it as a step toward easing the protracted conflict.

Southern Transitional Council leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi fled Yemen on January 7, sailing to Somaliland and then to Abu Dhabi via Mogadiscio under UAE officer escort, according to the Saudi-led coalition. The next day, the council dissolved all its organs and offices. Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi expelled al-Zubaidi and charged him with treason.

With UAE proxies ousted, Saudi Arabia moved to solidify its stance. Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman announced 500 million dollars in development projects across ten southern Yemeni provinces, including hospitals, schools, and roads. The package features a mosque on the strategic island of Socotra, previously UAE-controlled, named for the Saudi king as "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques."

Alwasil told the Security Council that Riyadh is preparing an inclusive conference to unite southern stakeholders for dialogue on the region's future, framing the southern issue as a "just cause with social and historical dimensions." Analysts at the Arab Center Washington DC note that the kingdom's swift military and diplomatic response has ended the UAE's decade-long bid to carve out influence in southern Yemen through proxy forces.