As Houthis Push West, Saudi Arabia Faces The Cost Of A Divided Yemen Coalition

Saudi Arabia is facing renewed Houthi attacks on its territory and energy infrastructure as the group expands its position along Yemen's Red Sea coast, highlighting the complicated legacy of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi's competing interests in the country's long-running war.

The latest escalation comes against the backdrop of a sharp Saudi-UAE dispute in late 2025, when Riyadh accused Abu Dhabi of pressuring Southern Transitional Council forces to conduct military operations in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, calling the moves a threat to Saudi national security. The UAE rejected the allegation and said it remained committed to Saudi security.

Houthi Pressure On Saudi Arabia

The Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia as they consolidate their position along Yemen's western coastline.

The Saudi-led coalition said on September 8 that Houthi attacks had targeted civilian and economic facilities in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, injuring 73 people, including women and children. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki described the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and said the coalition would take measures to deter further attacks.

The Yemeni government also condemned the attacks, saying they had targeted Saudi civilian, economic and energy facilities while threatening the Bab el-Mandab, the Red Sea and international maritime navigation.

The attacks have come as the Houthis expand their control along Yemen's Red Sea coast and strengthen their position near the Bab el-Mandeb, a key maritime chokepoint.

Saudi-UAE Split In Yemen

The Saudi-UAE differences became particularly sharp in late 2025 over the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group backed by Abu Dhabi.

Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of pressuring STC forces to conduct operations in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, territories bordering Saudi Arabia. Riyadh demanded that Emirati forces leave Yemen and called for an end to military or financial support to Yemeni factions.

The UAE rejected the allegations, saying it had not directed or pressured any Yemeni party to threaten Saudi Arabia and that it was working to contain the escalation. Abu Dhabi also said vehicles unloaded at Mukalla had been intended for UAE forces and not for any Yemeni faction.

Saudi-led coalition forces subsequently struck military equipment at Mukalla that Riyadh said had arrived from Fujairah for STC forces.

The dispute exposed competing approaches to Yemen within a coalition that had originally entered the war with the shared objective of countering the Houthis.

Riyadh's Strategic Dilemma

The Saudi-UAE dispute did not end their broader strategic relationship. In 2026, Abu Dhabi has repeatedly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed solidarity with Riyadh. The UAE's current public position is to support Saudi security despite the earlier dispute over Yemen.

For Riyadh, however, the earlier fragmentation of the anti-Houthi camp remains relevant as the Houthis build pressure along the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb.

The challenge is no longer confined to the battlefield inside Yemen. Houthi attacks are reaching Saudi cities and energy infrastructure, while control of territory and islands around the Red Sea creates risks for international shipping.

The United States has backed both the Yemeni government's right to confront the Houthis and Saudi Arabia's right to defend its territory, according to a statement from the US Embassy in Yemen.

The latest escalation therefore leaves Riyadh dealing with two interconnected problems: a Houthi movement that retains the ability to threaten Saudi territory and shipping, and the legacy of a Yemen strategy in which its closest Gulf partner has at times pursued different priorities on the ground.