News – Yemen: Political and strategic affairs researcher Anas al-Qadi said the latest developments in Yemen’s occupied southern provinces, particularly Hadramout, reflect an unprecedented public escalation between the Saudi and Emirati occupiers, exposing the complete unraveling of the so-called “coalition” and revealing the conflict as a struggle over interests and influence rather than any concern for Yemen’s national cause.

Speaking to Almasirah TV, al-Qadi explained that the aggression against Yemen falls within the framework of fifth-generation warfare, which relies on broad internal and external alliances aimed at dismantling states from within, without agreement among the aggressors on the political order to follow such fragmentation.

He noted that while Saudi Arabia and the UAE divided roles and geography throughout years of aggression, they never agreed on the "post-Sana’a phase", making confrontation between them inevitable. He said Saudi efforts in recent weeks—particularly in December—to manage tensions through political pressure and threats of force had failed, a reality underscored by recent statements from the so-called Presidential Leadership Council and the use of force at Mukalla port.

Al-Qadi described the Saudi-Emirati dispute as a competitive, not existential, conflict, likening it to pre-World War I European rivalries over influence and resources. He linked the escalation to overlapping economic ambitions, especially Saudi plans to diversify its economy, which increasingly clash with Emirati projects, fueling a race for regional economic dominance.

He stressed that Hadramout has become the primary arena of confrontation because Emirati gains there directly threaten Saudi national security interests, including border concerns, oil ambitions, and energy export projects. He added that while contradictions also exist in Aden and Shabwa, they do not reach the level seen in Hadramout due to its unique strategic significance.

Al-Qadi concluded that recent events have definitively stripped meaning from the notions of “coalition” and “legitimacy,” validating Sana’a’s long-held position that the war on Yemen is driven by expansionist agendas, with local proxies serving merely as tools.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have intensified in recent days following Saudi airstrikes in Mukalla and conflicting statements over Emirati military presence and arms shipments linked to UAE-backed factions. 

The escalation has highlighted deep fractures within the coalition waging war on Yemen and raised concerns of further instability in Hadramout and neighboring provinces, long viewed as strategically vital due to their resources, coastline, and proximity to key regional energy routes.