News - Yemen: The Saudi-led aggression is continuing intensified military movements in Al-Abr district of occupied Hadramout, in a notable escalation reflecting a growing scramble to control the oil- and gas-rich Wadi Hadramout region.

Media outlets affiliated with coalition-backed factions reported that Riyadh has deployed around 20,000 fighters to Al-Ruwaik camp as part of repositioning efforts and the formation of new Saudi-loyal armed units. According to the reports, these factions—composed largely of Salafi elements formed in early 2023—have been directed toward camps and positions of the 37th Armored Brigade in Al-Khasha’ area, which remains under the control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC).

Sources added that Saudi Arabia has summoned several loyal officers from the Najran front to Al-Abr, assigning them new military tasks and leadership posts under direct supervision from commanders affiliated with the Najran axis. The move is said to be part of efforts to reclaim influence over sites recently lost by the so-called internationally recognized government in favor of STC militias earlier this month.

The developments follow the withdrawal of First Military Region forces from their camps in Seiyun, alongside a field escalation that included a drone strike targeting a vehicle belonging to the UAE-backed Giants Brigades in the Khashm Al-Ain area. These events coincided with intensive Saudi air activity over Al-Abr, signaling Riyadh’s rejection of continued Emirati dominance over Wadi Hadramout’s oil-rich areas.

In a related development, the British newspaper The Guardian revealed last Thursday that Saudi Arabia issued an explicit warning to the STC, threatening airstrikes against its forces if they failed to withdraw from eastern Yemen. The report said Riyadh’s historical ambitions in Al-Mahrah and Hadramout have persisted since the founding of the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Abdulaziz bin Habtoor, member of the Supreme Political Council in Sana'a, said the developments in southern and eastern provinces serve as a cover for the coalition’s failure after more than ten years of war. Speaking on Almasirah TV, bin Habtoor said Saudi control over any Yemeni area opens the door to US and British influence, while Emirati control over Aden and Yemeni islands paves the way for the expansion of the Israeli enemy in those locations.

He stressed that the Saudi–UAE coalition’s moves amount to “occupation layered upon occupation,” noting that while details and labels may change, the core reality remains unchanged: aggression and occupation have continued uninterrupted since 2015.

Hadramout has emerged as a focal point of intensifying rivalry between Saudi- and UAE-backed factions, driven by the governorate’s strategic depth, vast energy resources, and geographic position. Observers say the escalating military deployments and mutual threats underscore the collapse of claims about restoring legitimacy, revealing instead a struggle over influence and wealth that has deepened fragmentation in Yemen’s occupied eastern provinces amid ongoing foreign intervention.

#Yemen #UAE #Hadramout #Saudi Arabia #Occupied Southern Governorates 25-12-22