Saudi Arabia alleges UAE smuggled wanted Yemen separatist leader out of the country

Saudi Arabia has accused the United Arab Emirates of smuggling a Yemeni separatist leader wanted for treason out of the country, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two Gulf powers.

In a statement released Thursday, Saudi military spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki alleged that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), fled Yemen by boat to Somalia before UAE officials transported him by plane to Abu Dhabi.

The accusation is unprecedented in its specificity, with Saudi officials naming a UAE major general involved in the alleged operation and identifying his code name—a remarkable breach of the typically discreet relations between Gulf Arab states. The statement even specified the aircraft model used, an Ilyushin Il-76, suggesting it had previously operated in conflict zones like Ethiopia, Libya, and Somalia.

This diplomatic row comes amid the deterioration of the Saudi-Emirati coalition that has been fighting in Yemen’s civil war since 2015. The partnership has frayed as the UAE-backed STC has advanced in two Yemeni governorates, apparently preparing to establish a separate southern state.

The UAE has not yet responded to the allegations. The STC had previously stated that al-Zubaidi remained in Aden, the southern port city where forces opposing the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have been based since the rebels captured the capital, Sanaa.

On Wednesday, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council—which has governed southern Yemen since 2022—expelled al-Zubaidi and charged him with treason after he reportedly declined to travel to Saudi Arabia for negotiations. This action followed Saudi Arabia’s recent airstrikes against STC positions and an arms shipment that Saudi officials claimed originated from the UAE.

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber reported on social media platform X that he met with an STC delegation in Riyadh. He stated they discussed al-Zubaidi’s actions, which he characterized as harmful to “the southern cause,” and explored arrangements for an upcoming conference in Riyadh aimed at addressing southern Yemen’s status.

Meanwhile, Mohamed al-Ghaithi, an STC committee head who supports the Presidential Leadership Council, described the meeting as “fruitful” and confirmed the delegation “rejected everything that harms unity.” However, the STC had previously reported losing contact with delegation members after they landed in Riyadh, claiming their phones were either switched off or unanswered.

The Yemen conflict has had devastating consequences, killing over 150,000 people and creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. The situation has grown more complex as Houthi rebels have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, disrupting a critical global trade route.

Saudi Arabia appears to be mounting a coordinated media campaign around the incident. The Saudi-owned satellite news channel Al Arabiya broadcast what it described as intercepted telephone calls documenting al-Zubaidi’s alleged escape. The kingdom’s English-language newspaper Arab News featured a front-page image of al-Zubaidi under a “WANTED” headline, reminiscent of American Western posters, along with an editorial condemning him for “aligning with foreign powers at the expense of his homeland.”

This accusation further strains relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both OPEC members that have increasingly competed over economic interests and regional influence, particularly in the strategically important Red Sea area. The Yemen dispute represents their most serious confrontation in decades.

The United States, which previously praised Saudi-Emirati efforts to resolve the crisis over the separatists, has conducted its own airstrikes against Houthi rebels under both the Biden and Trump administrations. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday as these tensions unfolded.