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The Saudi-Emirati Rivalry Is Fueling a Series of Wars

By
Jean Montagne

The tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have now burst into the open as a bitter public feud. Two oil-rich absolute monarchies are using much poorer neighbors like Yemen and Sudan as battlegrounds for their destructive proxy wars.

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L) is being welcomed by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (R) within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 20, 2023.

The feud between the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE has ramifications well beyond these two capital-rich, autocratic states in the Arabian Peninsula. It directly affects the long-suffering peoples of Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia. (United Arab Emirates Presidential Court / Handout / Anadolu via Getty Images)

The feud between the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ramifications well beyond these two capital-rich, autocratic states in the Arabian Peninsula. It directly affects the long-suffering peoples of Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia who are among the poorest and most conflict-burdened populations of the world.

Long simmering under the surface, the Saudi-Emirati rivalry blew up on December 30, 2025, when the Saudis bombed two Emirati ships in the port of Mukalla in Yemen. This was a response to the takeover of the country’s easternmost governorates by the UAE-supported Yemeni separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in previous weeks.

The Saudi bombing prompted the evacuation of all Emirati personnel and equipment from Yemen and the rapid defeat of the STC throughout the country. Yemen remains the most visible site of the worsening Saudi-Emirati relationship, but there are many others both in foreign and domestic issues.

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