Saudi Arabia has accused the United Arab Emirates of helping a leading Yemeni separatist figure flee the country, intensifying an already strained alliance between the two Gulf states and complicating efforts to stabilize southern Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition said Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the Southern Transitional Council, left Yemen after failing to attend planned talks in Riyadh, which were aimed at defusing a growing internal crisis.
According to the coalition, al-Zubaidi departed the port city of Aden late at night aboard a vessel bound for Berbera in Somaliland.
From there, he allegedly boarded an aircraft with Emirati officers that flew to Mogadishu before continuing to Abu Dhabi.
The coalition claimed the aircraft temporarily switched off its identification systems before landing at a military airport in the UAE capital.
Neither the STC nor the UAE immediately commented on the allegations.
Somalia’s immigration authority said it was investigating reports of unauthorized use of its airspace and airports, warning that such actions would represent a serious violation of national sovereignty.
Saudi officials say al-Zubaidi’s departure followed his refusal to board a Yemeni Air flight to Riyadh carrying an STC delegation for negotiations.
In response, the internationally recognized Yemeni government removed him from the Presidential Leadership Council and announced a treason investigation.
Saudi-backed forces later moved into Aden, seizing key sites including the presidential palace, while coalition airstrikes targeted STC positions in other areas.
Saudi officials argued that al-Zubaidi’s actions undermined unity against the Houthi movement and damaged the southern political cause.
The episode has exposed deep divisions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over Yemen’s future.
Saudi Arabia backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government and opposes further fragmentation of the country, citing security concerns along its border.
The UAE has long supported the STC, which seeks an independent southern state, though it has denied allegations of smuggling al-Zubaidi and previously announced an end to its military mission in Yemen.
Within the STC, internal splits have emerged, with other leaders traveling to Riyadh for talks as Saudi officials press ahead with a new dialogue on southern Yemen.