UAE to resume funding anti-Houthi forces in Yemen as Saudi Arabia pledges support

United Arab Emirates is preparing to re-engage in efforts to counter the Houthi rebels in Yemen, agreeing to resume funding anti-Houthi forces operating in the country’s south. In return, Saudi Arabia has pledged air support for their military operations, according to sources cited by British newspaper The Guardian.

The reported understanding marks a significant shift in relations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi following years of disagreements over Yemen. Recent Houthi advances and drone and missile attacks on Saudi territory have heightened security concerns across the Gulf, prompting the two countries to reconsider their support for forces opposing the rebels.

Among the key anti-Houthi formations in southern Yemen are the Giants Brigades, whose members have previously received training and financial support from the UAE. The force is regarded as an effective opponent of the Houthis.

However, the UAE withdrew its military presence from Yemen and halted its funding in January. The new arrangement could pave the way for that assistance to resume.

Political divisions among anti-Houthi groups remain a major obstacle. The Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist organisation in southern Yemen, has called for a referendum on independence. It seeks to restore the borders of the former South Yemen, which existed from 1967 until unification with the north in 1990.

The STC has therefore refused to allow its forces to operate beyond the boundaries of the historic south. A more positive Saudi position on a referendum could lead the group to relax that restriction, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s internationally recognised government announced last week that it would launch a counteroffensive aimed at recapturing the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa. However, operations near Majzar, close to Marib, and in areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have yet to achieve significant gains.

Political negotiations have also been complicated by the lack of direct communication between Saudi officials and STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi.

Al-Zubaidi fled to Abu Dhabi after an attempt to seize power in southern Yemen in January and organise a referendum on independence within two years failed. Saudi Arabia subsequently bombed a shipment of weapons sent by the UAE. Abu Dhabi later announced that it was ending all its activities in Yemen, while the Saudi-backed Yemeni government moved to prosecute al-Zubaidi on charges of treason.

Despite suffering heavy losses, the Houthis continue to seek control of Taiz and Marib, cities outside the boundaries of the former South Yemen. Their efforts have raised fears that the conflict could widen further.

At the same time, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said he would convene an emergency session of parliament to consider measures needed to defend Saudi Arabia.

He said Egypt did not seek to take aggressive action but would act if necessary to protect Saudi security.