An intelligence report reveals a cold war between Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Follow-ups – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:
A report issued by the Bloomsbury Institute for Intelligence and Security revealed a notable deterioration in relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE after years of a close partnership previously described as a cornerstone of Gulf stability.
The report indicated that accumulated disagreements on regional files and divergent visions regarding influence and strategic positioning in the Middle East have pushed the relationship into what resembles an undeclared “cold war” between the two parties.
The report explained that military and political cooperation in Yemen, which began in 2015 within the Saudi-led coalition to confront the “Houthis,” was at the time a model of unity of stance between the two countries. However, this coordination has gradually eroded as each party seeks to achieve its own agenda within the Yemeni arena.
While Riyadh continued to support the “internationally recognized Yemeni government,” Abu Dhabi moved to support the Southern Transitional Council, an entity seeking autonomy in the south and control over strategic ports and commercial routes.
According to the report, this disparity deepened the level of mutual suspicions, as Saudi Arabia expressed concerns that forces linked to the UAE contribute to entrenching division within Yemen.
The rivalry is not confined to Yemen alone; the institute pointed to similar manifestations of indirect conflict in other arenas such as Syria and parts of the Horn of Africa, where both parties support different forces to secure long-term positions of influence.
The report’s authors believe that this behavior reflects a shift in the relationship from a strategic partnership to open regional competition.
On the Gulf level, the report warned that the intensifying Saudi-Emirati competition has contributed to weakening the unity of stance within the Gulf Cooperation Council, casting a shadow on the Council’s ability to adopt cohesive collective policies in facing regional crises.
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