Relationship dossier
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Relationship assessment
UAE military support against the Houthis has been accompanied by major disputes over southern separatism and Yemen’s unity.
United Arab Emirates toward Yemen
-10The UAE joined the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government and deployed forces against Houthi forces. It also supported southern forces, including the Southern Transitional Council, which challenged the government’s authority and sought southern independence. UAE airstrikes against government-aligned forces during the 2019 Aden conflict sharpened this tension.
Yemen toward United Arab Emirates
+10Yemen’s internationally recognized government cooperated with the UAE as a member of the Saudi-led coalition intervening against the Houthis. That cooperation coexisted with strong objections to UAE support for the Southern Transitional Council and to actions by UAE-backed forces that challenged government authority, particularly in Aden.
Overall relationship
0The relationship has been shaped by the UAE’s major military role in Yemen and cooperation with the internationally recognized government against the Houthis, alongside a serious conflict over the UAE’s backing of southern separatist forces. These competing security and sovereignty interests prevent the partnership from being consistently cooperative.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The UAE intervened militarily in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognized government and fought Houthi forces. At the same time, it backed southern forces including the Southern Transitional Council, whose clashes with government forces and seizure of Aden exposed a major conflict over Yemen’s political unity and authority. The relationship combines substantial security involvement with serious disputes over sovereignty and the UAE’s support for southern separatists.
Areas of tension
- UAE support for the Southern Transitional Council and southern separatist ambitions
- Clashes between government forces and UAE-backed southern forces, including the 2019 Aden conflict
- UAE airstrikes against government-aligned forces during the 2019 Aden conflict
Key developments
The UAE joined the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen, which began with airstrikes against Houthi forces in support of the internationally recognized government.
UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council forces seized Aden from government forces, escalating disputes over the government’s authority and Yemen’s political unity.
The UAE reduced its direct military presence in Yemen while retaining influence through local partner forces.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope of UAE security involvement and support for local forces in Yemen is unclear.
- The extent of coordination between the UAE and Yemen's internationally recognized government has varied over time.