Yemen's Aden airport shuts amid Saudi-UAE rift

Friday 02 January 2026 - 16:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Yemen's Aden airport shuts amid Saudi-UAE rift

Yemen's Aden International Airport halted all operations on Thursday as escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates spilled over into civilian aviation, stranding hundreds of passengers and exposing deepening rifts among Gulf powers over control of resource-rich eastern provinces. The closure stemmed from a broader clash, with Saudi-backed forces launching military operations on Friday that killed at least seven people.

Air traffic at the facility Yemen's key non-Houthi controlled international gateway grounded after the Saudi-supported, internationally recognized Yemeni government imposed fresh restrictions on flights to and from the UAE. Instead of complying, the UAE-aligned Yemeni transport minister, tied to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, ordered a total shutdown. Stranded travelers crowded the terminal seeking updates, including some rushing for urgent medical care left in limbo.

This aviation dispute mirrors wider fractures within the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. On Friday, Saudi warplanes struck seven times at a CTS military camp in Hadramout province's Al-Khasah area, killing at least seven and wounding over 20, according to CTS officials. The raids followed Saudi-backed forces' launch of what they called a "peaceful operation" to reclaim positions seized by the CTS in its December offensive.

The crisis ignited after the CTS, a separatist group pushing for southern Yemen independence, seized large swaths of Hadramout and Al-Mahra provinces early last month. Saudi Arabia responded with rare blunt criticism on December 30, labeling UAE actions a "threat to the kingdom's national security" and demanding withdrawal of UAE forces within 24 hours. The UAE denied the claims and announced a pullout of remaining troops, though the CTS has held onto captured territories.

"Saudi Arabia deliberately misled the international community by announcing a peaceful operation it never intended to keep peaceful," said Amr Al Bidh, a senior CTS official, noting airstrikes hit minutes after the declaration. The standoff represents the most public discord between the Gulf oil giants in years. Both joined the 2015 coalition against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, but diverging Yemeni interests have increasingly pitted them against each other.

UAE stock markets ended mixed in their first 2026 trading session on Friday amid regional uncertainties. Dubai's main index rose 1.1 percent, boosted by Emaar Development's 2.97 percent gain and Emirates NBD Bank's 2.69 percent increase. Abu Dhabi's index held steady, weighed down by a more than 4 percent drop in Abu Dhabi National Energy Company.