The United Arab Emirates is pulling out its remaining troops in Yemen in a move signaling de-escalation following Yemen's government order asking them to leave within 24 hours after a Saudi-led coalition's airstrike on the port of Mukalla early on Tuesday.
In a statement carried by the state-run news agency WAM on Tuesday night, the UAE Ministry of Defense said it had voluntarily ended the mission of its "counterterrorism units" in Yemen, its only forces deployed there after it concluded its military presence in 2019.
The ministry said the decision was "in line with its commitments and its role in supporting security and stability in the region", without providing a timetable.
The announcement came after Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of pressuring Yemen's Southern Transitional Council, or STC, to push toward the kingdom's borders, declaring its national security a "red line", in Riyadh's strongest language yet in the falling-out between the close neighbors.
Earlier on Tuesday, the UAE Foreign Ministry issued a statement, pointing out that there were "serious factual inaccuracies" in the Saudi claim, and denied claims that it contributed to the escalation of tensions or provided weapons to Yemeni factions.
On Tuesday morning, the coalition carried out an airstrike targeting "weapons and combat vehicles unloaded" at the port of Mukalla in Yemen's southeastern Hadramout Province, the Saudi Press Agency reported, accusing the UAE of backing an offensive by the STC, which seized swaths of territory in the provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahrah.
Following the airstrike, Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, or PLC, dissolved a defense pact with the UAE, declared a 90-day state of emergency and gave Emirati forces 24 hours to leave — a demand backed by Saudi Arabia.
Yemen borders the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The STC, despite being part of the PLC, has long sought southern Yemeni independence and accused the internationally recognized government — now based in the southern city of Aden — of failing to counter Houthi offensives. The Houthis control the most populous regions of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. The STC remained defiant, insisting there was "no thinking about withdrawal" from its newly seized positions.
Abdulaziz Alghashian, a lecturer in international relations at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences in Riyadh, said a unified Yemen is integral to Saudi national security. Sharing a long border with Yemen, Saudi Arabia is thinking about issues like border security and disputes, as well as immigration and illegal entry into its territory, he said, while the UAE may see "opportunities" in Yemen.
Sultan Barakat, a professor of public policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying, Abu Dhabi's interests in Yemen are "in control of the ports, not necessarily to develop them but to make sure that Jebel Ali Port in the UAE remains the main port around the region".
Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain have said they would support any efforts to bolster dialogue and reach a political solution.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday that China hopes that all parties will prioritize the interests of the Yemeni people and respond to the efforts of regional countries and the international community to promote peace.
Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.
