Saudi Arabia says UAE flew wanted Yemeni separatist out of country as Gulf rift deepens

Relations between two of the Gulf’s closest partners, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) , have taken an abrupt turn toward open confrontation after Riyadh accused the UAE of smuggling a Yemeni separatist leader wanted for treason out of the country.

The Saudi military, as reported by the Associated Press, claimed that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, first escaped by boat to Somalia before being flown to Abu Dhabi on a UAE aircraft, according to a statement by Major General Turki al-Maliki.

For context, al-Zubaidi is a prominent Yemeni separatist leader and head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which seeks an independent South Yemen. A former Aden governor, he now faces treason charges over his separatist push and refusal to join peace talks.

Officials say the aircraft allegedly used by the UAE was an Ilyushin Il-76, a model previously seen in conflict zones, raising even more suspicion in Riyadh about Emirati support for separatist actions.

Allies no more? Gulf rift widens

The UAE, however, has not publicly acknowledged the claim, and there has been no immediate response from Emirati officials on the accusation. The STC itself said al-Zubaidi remained in Aden (Yemen’s southern stronghold) rather than being flown out.

This allegation comes at a fragile moment.

Saudi Arabia recently expelled al-Zubaidi from Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council after he skipped peace talks in Riyadh and has since hit STC forces with airstrikes as northern and southern factions vie for control.

Riyadh also appears to be pressing its narrative through state-aligned media, with Saudi broadcasters airing intercepted communications they say show the separatist’s escape, and Saudi newspapers running front-page “WANTED” posters.

The public accusations makes the growing strategic split between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi even more prominent.