Saudi Arabia is leveraging the escalating ot its dispute with the United Arab Emirates over Yemen to advance a wider set of regional power recalibrations, extending beyond the Yemeni theater to strategic islands and the Horn of Africa. As Abu Dhabi expanded its security and economic footprint through port and airport investments and partnerships with regional capitals, areas Riyadh views as part of its vital security sphere. Saudi Arabia has moved to counter Emirati influence and assert its strategic interests.
Within this context, Saudi Arabia moved quickly to secure a presence on both sides of the Gulf of Aden, encompassing southern Yemen and northern Somalia. The effort is part of a broader strategy to control one of the region’s most important maritime corridors. For Riyadh, reducing the Emirati footprint in Somalia constitutes a strategic gain in itself, even if achieved indirectly rather than through direct Saudi intervention. Riyadh is also working to expand its influence across the Horn of Africa, relying on strong ties with several regional states, especially Eritrea and Djibouti, both of which have previously dismantled Emirati military bases on their territory.
On the southern shore of the Gulf of Aden, Saudi Arabia is strengthening its control through local proxies, particularly the Homeland Shield Forces and the Giants Brigades, across eastern and western provinces of southern Yemen. Saudi military personnel have deployed to these areas and begun efforts to reunify fragmented armed factions under a Saudi-aligned framework. Officers have also reportedly arrived on Yemen’s strategic islands, especially Socotra and Mayyun, as well as the port city of Mokha on the western coast, which remains under control by forces loyal to Tareq Saleh and backed by the UAE. Together, these moves point to a coordinated campaign to encircle and gradually erode the Emirati presence. Riyadh has also shown flexibility in dealing with factions previously aligned with Abu Dhabi, several of which have formed a committee to realign their loyalties in line with Saudi interests.
