Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, where they reviewed relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and emphasized continued coordination and joint cooperation to enhance regional security and stability, in the presence of several senior officials from both sides.
According to the Mauritanian News Agency, the two sides discussed the well-established fraternal relations between the two countries and their shared desire to continue strengthening cooperation and coordination in various fields, and exchanged views on recent developments in the region.
The meeting also addressed a number of issues and topics of mutual interest, primarily recent developments in the region, and the two sides exchanged views on them, highlighting the importance of working to strengthen cooperation to support efforts to consolidate regional security and stability.
The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, received the Saudi Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, and discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen joint cooperation, as well as regional developments and efforts to consolidate security and stability and achieve lasting peace in the region.
The Saudi Defense Minister conveyed to the President of the United Arab Emirates the greetings of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, while Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed conveyed his greetings to the Saudi monarch and the Crown Prince.
The meeting comes in light of recent developments in Yemen, as hostilities have resumed in the wake of the war in the Middle East following the collapse of a ceasefire that had been in effect in Yemen since 2022. The Houthis have made gains on the ground at the expense of government forces, gaining control of the western coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait area, while Saudi Arabia is facing nearly daily attacks by the Houthis using rockets and drones targeting airports, energy facilities, and other military sites.
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This consultation will lead to practical measures in the areas of security and defense cooperation, which is one of the factors affecting the two countries’ ability to address growing threats and maintain regional stability and their economic interests.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi maintained common strategic objectives in confronting the goals of the Iran-backed Houthi group following the launch of the military intervention in Yemen in 2015, while the end of 2026 saw differences emerge between the governments, which culminated in the United Arab Emirates’ withdrawal from the Yemeni theater.
The importance of this coordination stems from the escalation of Houthi attacks and growing fears that the situation in Yemen is directly linked to broader tensions with Iran, as well as the continued military and security pressure on Saudi Arabia and the direct threat to international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
This rapprochement would prevent anti-Houthi forces from clashing with one another—which would weaken their efforts against the Houthis—and allow them to benefit from Emirati capabilities.
The withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates created a security vacuum in Yemen, allowing the Houthi militia to advance in several areas, while also enabling al-Qaeda to make gains in various regions, particularly in Wadi Hadramout.
Slovakia’s representative to the European Parliament, Erk Kalinak, has previously warned that the withdrawal of Emirati troops from southern Yemen has created a dangerous security vacuum, threatening the world’s most vital shipping route—the Red Sea.
Speaking in the European Parliament, Kalinak said: “When we talk about security, we simply cannot ignore the situation in Yemen. Emirati forces have withdrawn from the south, and their last counterterrorism units have just left, creating a dangerous vacuum in the world’s most important vital shipping route.” He added: “The Red Sea is the energy route for our oil tankers and gas carriers, trade routes, and supply chains, and for many years the United Arab Emirates has worked to achieve stability in the south and combat the terrorist organization ISIS; the moment they left, the Houthis seized the opportunity.”
Increasing Houthi Risks
The Houthi threat represents one of the most complex geopolitical challenges in the Middle East, and the gravity of this shift is evident in their expanding territorial gains and the development of their military arsenal, which has enabled them to directly impact Gulf security and freedom of international navigation.
The Houthis are seeking, as announced, to exploit the war with Iran to force the Saudis to accept a peace dictated by the victor—that is, a peace that requires abandoning the internationally recognized Yemeni government, lifting all restrictions on ports and airports under Houthi control, and paying war reparations.
The group imposed a blockade on Saudi ports along the Red Sea, and cross-border attacks and ground warfare within Yemen quickly resumed on a large scale.
Yemeni academic and political analyst Dr. Abdul Wahab Al-Awaj believes that the escalation in the frequency of attacks carried out by the Houthi group against Saudi territory—which targeted the “King Khalid” and “Dammam” airports, as well as civilian targets in Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran—in addition to attempts to target the port of Yanbu—represents a scenario orchestrated and directed directly from Tehran, with the aim of bringing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to its knees and destabilizing the region.
According to observers, this escalation reflects Tehran’s direct role. Reuters reported on September 10, citing Iranian officials, that Iran had encouraged the Houthis to intensify their attacks against Saudi Arabia in exchange for promises of further military and financial support.
This escalation coincides with explicit Iranian messages and threats to attack airports in countries across the region if they cooperate with U.S. measures aimed at preventing Iranian aircraft from landing and receiving logistical support—a move intended to impose a high political and security cost on any regional cooperation with Washington.
The Importance of Security Integration
Security and military integration between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi serve as a true safety valve for the stability of the Arabian Gulf region and an essential guarantee for the protection of international waterways and global economic interests.
The relationship between the two countries has been based on a broad network of security, economic, and social interests and has developed over the decades across multiple regional issues, while on-the-ground data confirms that they are an influential element in the Gulf’s regional security architecture and its capacity to cope with transformations and external pressures. This analysis remains an analytical assessment issued by the Center and does not constitute a binding official position for either country.
Both sides recognize that the next critical phase requires greater coordination and the development of comprehensive response tools, particularly in Yemen and the Red Sea, which has led them to seek stronger and more coordinated strategic and security agreements—even as their visions for Yemen’s future political architecture remain divergent.