Saudi Arabia says UAE helped Yemen separatist leader to flee

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Saudi Arabia says UAE helped Yemen separatist leader to flee

January 8, 2026

DUBAI,— Saudi Arabia accused the United Arab Emirates on Thursday of helping a Yemeni separatist leader wanted for treason escape the country and fly to Abu Dhabi, marking a new low in relations between the Gulf neighbors.

Saudi military officials said Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the Southern Transitional Council, or STC, fled Yemen by boat to Somalia before being transported by plane to the UAE capital.

The statement did not include any immediate comment from the UAE.

The UAE has long supported the STC, a group that has clashed with Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.

Tensions surged recently after STC fighters advanced in two southern governorates, raising fears of a potential bid for independence from Yemen.

Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi military, publicly named a UAE general allegedly involved in the operation and revealed al-Zubaidi’s nom de guerre, an unusual disclosure in Gulf diplomatic disputes.

Al-Malki also noted that an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft was used in the operation, a model previously accused of transporting weapons through conflict zones in Ethiopia, Libya, and Somalia, though the UAE has denied such claims.

Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency said it had launched an investigation into “the alleged unauthorized use of Somalia’s national airspace and airport,” describing it as a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

The agency added that any attempt by al-Zubaidi to evade Saudi dialogue efforts would breach bilateral agreements, without identifying any foreign actor.

The STC has not directly responded to the accusations. Earlier this week, the council said al-Zubaidi remained in Aden, where forces allied against Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been stationed since the rebels seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jaber, said on the social media platform X on Thursday that he met with an STC delegation that had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier.

The discussions focused on al-Zubaidi’s actions, which al-Jaber said “harmed the southern cause and didn’t serve it.”

Al-Jaber said the talks also addressed plans for a Southern Cause Conference in Riyadh, aimed at promoting security and stability in southern Yemen. Mohamed al-Ghaithi, an STC official involved in reconciliation efforts, described the meeting as “fruitful,” emphasizing that the delegation rejected any actions that undermine unity.

The Presidential Leadership Council, which has administered southern Yemen since 2022, expelled al-Zubaidi and charged him with treason after he reportedly refused to fly to Saudi Arabia for talks. Saudi authorities have recently conducted airstrikes targeting the STC and a weapons shipment they said originated from the UAE.

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, met Thursday with council members in Riyadh to discuss recent developments and their impact on Yemen’s broader political landscape.

Grundberg described the upcoming Riyadh-hosted conference as a “timely opportunity to reduce tensions, address long-standing grievances through political means, and move discussions towards stabilization.”

The Yemen conflict, ongoing since 2014, has killed more than 150,000 people and triggered a humanitarian crisis. Houthi forces have also targeted shipping routes near the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, particularly amid tensions linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

The United States has carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Washington this week.

The Saudi accusations are likely to worsen the rift with the UAE, both major OPEC members, which have competed over regional politics and economic influence in recent years.

Saudi media outlets, including Al Arabiya and Arab News, highlighted the incident prominently, with Arab News branding al-Zubaidi a traitor and portraying his actions as aligning with foreign powers to pursue southern secession by force.

(With files from AP)