Egypt confident Saudi Arabia, UAE will handle Yemen developments wisely: What’s behind the tensions

CAIRO – 31 December 2025: Egypt said on Tuesday it is confident Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will deal “wisely” with recent developments in Yemen, citing fraternal ties between the two Gulf states.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Cairo is closely monitoring the situation in Yemen through round-the-clock, high-level communications with all relevant parties.

The statement comes after heightened tensions in Yemen over the past hours as the arrival of an alleged UAE-linked arms shipment to southern Yemen triggered a military response by the Saudi-led coalition forces.

Egypt expressed full confidence in the two countries’ wisdom in handling the current developments to uphold their fraternal ties and safeguard Arab unity and a shared destiny at a critical moment for Yemen and the region.

Cairo praised the wisdom of the Saudi and Emirati leaderships for their constructive handling of the Yemeni developments and their keenness to achieve Yemen’s stability, sovereignty and the interests of its people.

The ministry said Egypt would continue communications with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Yemen and other regional and international actors to help reduce escalation and pave the way for a comprehensive political settlement that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people.

What Happened in Yemen?

Tensions mounted after the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said two vessels entered Al-Mukalla port over the weekend, coming from the UAE and carrying large quantities of weapons, without authorization from the coalition’s command.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the coalition spokesman, Turki Al-Malki, said the ships arrived from the UAE’s Fujairah port, switched off their tracking systems and unloaded weapons and combat vehicles.

Al-Malki said the cargo was intended to support separatist Southern Transitional Council forces in Yemen’s eastern governorates of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.

He described the move as a violation of de-escalation efforts and a breach of a UN arms embargo imposed under Security Council Resolution 2216.

Acting on a request from Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council to protect civilians in the two governorates, the coalition said it carried out a limited air strike on Tuesday morning, targeting the unloaded weapons and vehicles at Al-Mukalla port.

The coalition said the operation was conducted after documenting the aforementioned incidents and comes in line with international humanitarian law to avoid any collateral damage.

There were no reports of casualties or collateral damage from the Saudi strike.

UAE to Withdraw Troops

Saudi-backed presidential council in Yemen subsequently called for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country, a request that Saudi Arabia backed in a foreign ministry statement.

The UAE vehemently denied the accusations, stressing that the shipments did not include any weapons and that the unloaded vehicles were fully destined for the Emirati forces operating in Yemen.

The Emirati Defense Ministry later said it will withdraw its remaining forces from Yemen in the wake of the recent developments.

In its foreign ministry statement, Saudi Arabia expressed its regret that the UAE “pushed the Southern Transitional Council forces into carrying out military operations along the Kingdom’s southern border in the governorates of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.”

The Kingdom warned that “any infringement or threat to its national security represents a red line” and that “the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralize” any such threat.

The UAE rejected “fundamental inaccuracies” in the Saudi statement about its role in Yemen’s latest developments and denied any attempt to link it to tensions among Yemeni parties.

A statement by the Emirati foreign ministry also dismissed allegations that it had pressured or directed any Yemeni group to carry out military operations that could threaten Saudi Arabia’s security or target its borders.