The close knit Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) were looked at as the main support of cooperation in the Gulf area, having the same views on security and goals that were strategic for the region. The Arab Spring made their alliance even stronger in 2011 when both countries united against Islamist movements, coordinated their regional policies, and sent troops to Bahrain to suppress the uprising. Such cooperation early on was the basis of a united Arab front towards political changes in the Middle East and was the factor that strengthened the vision of both countries about stability and support to each other.
What Is Happening Inside Saudi-UAE Relations?
The regionally important Saudi-UAE alliance became even stronger with the Yemeni military intervention in 2015, to which both countries participated in order to re establish the internationally recognized government that was overthrown by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. In this campaign, the ground operations were carried out by UAE forces while Saudi Arabia controlled the airspace, which was done in a coordinated manner against a common enemy. A year later, in 2017, both countries were leaders of the diplomatic isolation of Qatar and put it under accusations of terrorism support, which was a step showing their united political power in the Gulf. However, the cracks started to appear as both countries wore different foreign and domestic policy hats.
Tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia
The tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia escalated significantly when the former started changing its strategic position in Yemen. In the year 2019, Abu Dhabi significantly reduced its military presence while playing a behind the scenes role by supporting the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group in southern Yemen. The conflict between the two influences became more pronounced when eventually, such differences led to Riyadh having to deal with the whole situation of the Houthis alone and at the same time, the anti Houthi camp was already divided by free competition. The differences were even more noticeable in 2020, when the UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords, which was a path not pursued by Saudi Arabia that took a more cautious stance linked to Palestinian statehood.
The economic rivalries also made their presence felt and became even more obvious when in the beginning of 2021, Riyadh challenged Dubai’s commercial leadership and urged global companies to move their regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia. That same year, the relations between the two countries deteriorated even more and in a rare case, a dispute erupted within OPEC, the UAE opposed a Saudi led production deal and demanded higher output quotas. These economic differences were aggravated by different attitudes towards regional conflicts, as in Sudan, where Riyadh supported government ceasefire talks while the UAE was alleged to be backing the opposition forces.
Latest Update From the UAE and Saudi Arabia
By the end of 2025, the partnership that had lasted for years was now an uneasy rivalry. The UAE-backed STC taking control of oilfields in Hadramout, a move described by Saudi Arabia’s officials as crossing a strategic ‘red line’, set off the peak of tensions in Yemen. Reportedly, on December 30, 2025, Saudi Arabian aircraft hit a ship in Mukalla, alleging that it was loaded with heavy weapons intended for the separatists, a step up in the confrontational line of the interests of the two former allies. This incident marked an unusual clash in the coziness of the Gulf, showing that the narratives of the past have turned the two countries into competitors when it comes to power in Yemen and the region, which in turn has an impact on the geopolitics of the Gulf.
