News – Yemen: Recent incidents in Yemen’s occupied territories have revealed unprecedented tensions within the ranks of Saudi- and UAE-backed forces, exposing both disorganization and exploitation of national institutions for narrow political gains.

Saudi Ambassador and de facto governor of the occupied provinces, Mohammed Al-Jaber, acknowledged that the head of the so-called Transitional Council, Aidarus Al-Zubaidi, prevented a Saudi delegation flight from reaching Aden on January 1. The move reflected severe internal friction among the coalition’s local proxies and highlighted a lack of control over their own tools.

Al-Jaber admitted that Al-Zubaidi directly ordered the closure of Aden Airport, causing serious harm to civilians and impacting their essential needs, demonstrating how sovereign infrastructure has been turned into leverage for political agendas.

In Hadramawt, the Saudi-appointed governor, Salem Al-Khanbashi, reported attempts at looting and mismanagement of weapons and ammunition at Riyan International Airport in Mukalla, holding the UAE responsible for leaving the facility unsecured upon its withdrawal. This episode underscores Abu Dhabi’s direct role in mismanaging security under minimal accountability.

Adding to the disorder, Saudi-appointed Rashad Al-Alimi, head of the so-called Presidential Council, issued an urgent decree assigning Al-Khanbashi as commander of the “Homeland Shield” forces in Hadramawt, signaling ongoing efforts to reorganize the coalition’s fragmented military tools amid escalating internal disputes.

These developments highlight the failure of the occupying powers and their local proxies to maintain security and order, exposing contradictions between Saudi and UAE agendas and the ambitions of allied local forces, with Yemen’s sovereignty, unity, and stability paying the heaviest price.

The occupied territories in Yemen have increasingly become a stage for internal disputes among coalition-backed forces. Airports, military facilities, and administrative structures are being manipulated for political leverage, while civilians bear the consequences. Observers note that these conflicts reflect broader failures of Saudi and UAE strategies, revealing both the limits of their control and the exploitation of local proxies for external agendas.