The UAE Officially Ends Its Military Mission in Yemen

The UAE Officially Ends Its Military Mission in Yemen

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially announced the complete termination of its military activities in Yemen. The announcement was made on December 30, according to a statement from the UAE Ministry of Defense reported by Al Arabiya.

Mission Ongoing Since 2015

According to the Ministry of Defense, the UAE had participated in Yemen since 2015 as part of the Arab Coalition, with the aim of supporting Yemen’s legitimate government. The mission focused on combating terrorist organizations and ensuring security and stability for the “brotherly Yemeni people.”

The ministry noted that the main military involvement of UAE forces actually ended in 2019, once all assigned objectives had been fully achieved.

Withdrawal of the Last Counterterrorism Personnel

After 2019, the remaining UAE military presence in Yemen consisted only of specialized counterterrorism personnel, operating in coordination with international partners.

The Ministry of Defense stated that the decision to withdraw this final counterterrorism contingent was made after a comprehensive assessment of the situation and in agreement with relevant partners. It was emphasized that the withdrawal was carried out voluntarily by the UAE.

Yemeni Authorities Had Issued an Ultimatum

Earlier, Yemen’s administration had cancelled a defense agreement with the UAE and ordered Emirati forces to leave the country. The decree was issued by the government led by Rashad al-Alimi, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, and demanded that UAE troops withdraw within 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia Strikes Yemen’s Mukalla Port

On December 30, Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on the port city of Mukalla in Yemen. Riyadh said the strikes were in response to intelligence reports claiming that weapons had been delivered to separatist forces with UAE involvement.

According to Saudi statements, the strikes took place after two ships departing from the UAE’s Fujairah port arrived in Mukalla. The military said the attacks were conducted at night to avoid collateral damage. No official information about casualties has been released. The UAE has not commented on the incident.

Tensions Within the Coalition

Although Saudi Arabia and the UAE are part of the coalition fighting the Houthi movement, they support different factions within Yemen:

• Saudi Arabia backs the National Shield Forces;

• The UAE supports the separatist Southern Transitional Council.

The Hadramaut province, where Mukalla is located, has recently come under separatist control. Saudi Arabia had already carried out airstrikes on December 26 as a warning to the group.