The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced it will withdraw its remaining counter-terrorism units from Yemen, bringing to an end the last contingent of Emirati forces in the war-torn country. The decision, described as voluntary by Abu Dhabi, comes amid a deepening diplomatic and military rift involving Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and Saudi Arabia, long a close partner of the UAE in the conflict against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
In an official statement on Tuesday, the UAE’s Defence Ministry said it had “ended the mission of its counter-terrorism units” in Yemen following a comprehensive assessment of the evolving security environment. These forces had represented the final operational military presence in the country since the UAE largely scaled back its involvement in 2019.
The announcement came hours after Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Saudi-aligned leadership intensified pressure on Abu Dhabi to pull out its troops, including demands to leave within 24 hours. Tensions flared after a Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes on Yemen’s southern port city of Mukalla, targeting what Riyadh described as a weapons shipment linked to UAE-supported forces — a claim that Abu Dhabi denied.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council cancelled its joint defence agreement with the UAE, declared a state of emergency and imposed temporary restrictions on ports and border crossings, citing concerns over foreign military involvement and the security situation in the south. The council’s declaration also called for any remaining foreign troops to depart Yemen immediately.
The developments have reverberated across regional markets, with major Gulf stock indexes retreating in response to heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Dubai’s equity index registered its steepest decline in months, while shares in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi also slipped.
The UAE has sought to frame its withdrawal as a strategic recalibration rather than a capitulation, emphasizing its long-standing role in supporting Yemeni security and counter-terrorism efforts in coordination with international partners. However, the diplomatic rupture with Saudi Arabia, historically one of the UAE’s closest allies in the Arab coalition on Yemen, underscores growing divergences over the conflict’s conduct and objectives.
Analysts warn the latest escalation could further complicate the already fragile political and security landscape in Yemen, where a decade-long war has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and fragmented governance among rival factions.
UAE withdraws its last counter-terrorism teams from Yemen, ending a long-standing military role there.
Tensions with Saudi Arabia escalate, tied to disputed arms shipments and strategic influence in southern Yemen.
Yemen’s leadership cancels defence pact with UAE and orders immediate withdrawal of Emirati forces.
Regional markets react nervously to the diplomatic fallout.