Saudi-led Coalition

Updated: 31 January 2024

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  • Methodology
Affiliated Actors

ACLED actors affiliated with the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen are:

  • Coalition military campaigns
    • Operation Decisive Storm
    • Operation Restoring Hope
  • Saudi Forces
    • Military Forces of Saudi Arabia (2015-)
    • Military Forces of Saudi Arabia (2015-) Border Guard
    • Military Forces of Saudi Arabia (2015-) National Guard
    • Police Forces of Saudi Arabia (2015-)
    • Police Forces of Saudi Arabia (2015-) Prison Guards
  • Emirati Forces
    • Military Forces of the United Arab Emirates (2004-2022)
    • Military Forces of the United Arab Emirates (2022-)
  • Sudanese Forces
    • Military Forces of Sudan (1989-2019) Rapid Support Forces
    • Military Forces of Sudan (2019-)
    • Military Forces of Sudan (2019-2023) Rapid Support Forces
Methodology Links

Coding decisions around the Yemen war

  • A brief overview of ACLED’s coding and sourcing methodology for Yemen

Quick Guide to ACLED Data

  • A brief overview of the most frequently asked questions by users of ACLED data

Knowledge Base

  • Guides for using and accessing ACLED data and documentation for ACLED’s core methodology

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of other Arab allies launched a military intervention to restore the authority of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who was earlier ousted by the Houthis. Codenamed Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope beginning in April 2015, the intervention largely consisted of air and naval operations in support of the Yemeni government and resistance troops. In addition, Saudi, Emirati, and Sudanese special forces spearheaded ground offensives in Aden, Mukalla, and along Yemen’s western coast and northern border. Fissures within what became known as the Saudi-led Coalition hampered its unity. Qatar was suspended from the Coalition in 2017 in the wake of the diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In turn, Saudi and Emirati strategic interests have increasingly diverged, with Saudi Arabia throwing its weight behind Yemen’s Internationally Recognized Government (IRG) and the UAE supporting the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC).

Interactive Map of Saudi-led Coalition Activities

This dashboard encompasses political violence events associated with the Yemen war since the onset of the regional conflict on 26 March 2015. It includes all political violence events in Yemen, and only war-related events in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. By default, the map displays data for the period beginning with the UN-mediated truce, on 2 April 2022, up to the most recent week. 

Filters on the left allow users to define a time range and analyze trends in more detail. It is possible to focus on specific governorates of Yemen and obtain Admin1-level statistics by clicking on the relevant areas on the map.

Saudi-led Coalition Leadership

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the two major powerhouses in the Coalition. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) – who also served as the kingdom’s defense minister at the time – single-handedly orchestrated the intervention, convincing his father, King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, to take action against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. Saudi Arabia also secured international support from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the United States, which exchanged its backing for the war with a promise that the Saudis would not oppose the negotiations with Iran over the nuclear deal.1Bruce Riedel, ‘Saudi Arabia’s Role in the Yemen Crisis,’ in Stephen W. Day and Noel Brehony (eds.), ‘Global, Regional, and Local Dynamics in the Yemen Crisis,’ Palgrave, pp. 115-130 For his part, UAE President Muhammad bin Zayid (MbZ) also joined the war. Then serving as the UAE’s Crown Prince, MbZ, decided to deploy a select number of special forces to Aden, which oversaw the organization of resistance groups and provided intelligence and military support to local fighters.2Michael Knights, ‘25 Days to Aden: The Unknown Story of Arabian Elite Forces at War,’ Profile Books, 2023, p. 38

Historical background

The Coalition consisting of 10 countries spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and the UAE began military operations in Yemen on 26 March 2015. The decision came at the request of Yemeni President Hadi, who called upon the GCC to prevent Yemen from falling into the hands of the Houthis. The Coalition achieved immediate air superiority through the systematic destruction of Yemen’s air bases and air defenses. A land, sea, and air blockade began in April 2015 to enforce an arms embargo imposed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216. The Coalition also committed to train Yemeni resistance forces and deploy ground troops, including Saudi border guards, the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces, and the Emirati elite forces.

The Coalition’s military support was critical in order to bolster Yemeni resistance to the advancing Houthi-Saleh forces. Airstrikes severely hampered military capacity, forcing Houthi-Saleh forces into the defensive. Saudi forces regularly engaged in cross-border shelling, targeting Houthi forces and civilian sites in Yemen’s north. Emirati elite brigades played a decisive role in the retaking of Aden in 2015 and Mukalla in 2016, and spearheaded the military offensives that led Coalition-backed Yemeni troops to encircle the western port city of al-Hudayda (for more, see the section on Joint Forces). The UAE also orchestrated the training of several southern armed groups, which starting in 2017 formed the backbone of the STC (for more, see the section on Southern Transitional Council). In March 2023, the Coalition announced a unilateral suspension of its military operations in Yemen.

The Coalition’s military operations also resulted in severe humanitarian consequences. Airstrikes frequently hit civilian targets and populated areas, including medical facilities, schools, and markets. According to ACLED data, over 9,200 civilians are estimated to have been killed as a result of Coalition operations in Yemen between March 2015 and July 2023 – although this number is likely to be higher as it does not include those killed in the targeting of military sites. Approximately 90% of all airstrikes against civilian targets and related fatalities occurred between 2015 and 2018. The blockade has also exacerbated the plight of the Yemeni population, preventing the entry of fuel, medicine, and other essential goods into the country. UN experts stated that the Coalition may have been responsible for “war crimes” due to their failure to protect Yemeni civilians.3Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, ‘Yemen: United Nations Experts point to possible war crimes by parties to the conflict,’ 28 August 2018

Saudi and Emirati interests have increasingly diverged in Yemen. Saudi Arabia is largely concerned with securing its 800-mile border with Yemen and has committed to support the IRG and its major military and political stakeholder, the Islamist Islah party,4The Islah party comprises different factions aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafists, and the influential Hashid tribal confederation in northern Yemen. It is backed by Saudi Arabia, and it wields significant influence on Marib and Taizz governorates, while being a major stakeholder of the IRG. Part of its leadership also relocated abroad, especially in Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. in the war against the Houthis. The UAE has instead focused on containing al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Houthis, securing its commercial interests, and consolidating local alliances. To achieve these goals, the UAE has supported the separatist STC, Islah’s arch-enemy in southern Yemen. On several occasions, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have consequently found themselves at odds. In August 2019, at the height of the clashes between the IRG and the STC in Aden, the UAE reportedly bombed pro-government troops in neighboring Abyan governorate. Other rivalries have emerged in southeastern Yemen, where UAE-backed groups have occasionally locked horns with the Saudi-backed IRG.

Since April 2022, Houthi and Saudi representatives have engaged in bilateral talks to end the war in Yemen. These efforts culminated in an announcement by United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg that parties to the conflict committed to “a set of measures to implement a nationwide ceasefire.”5Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-general for Yemen, ‘Update on efforts to secure a UN roadmap to end the war in Yemen,’ 23 December 2023 However, Houthi activity in the Red Sea beginning in October 2023 appeared to derail the peace deal, creating further divisions between Riyadh and the UAE regarding support for the US-led coalition’s strikes against the Houthis.

Timeline

  • 2015
    • Mar. | The Saudi-led Coalition launches an intervention in Yemen to restore the deposed Yemeni President Hadi
  • 2016
    • Oct. | Two Coalition airstrikes hit a funeral hall in Sanaa reportedly killing 132 people, including the capital’s mayor
  • 2019
    • Jun. | The UAE announce drawing down and redeploying its troops in Yemen
  • 2019
    • Aug. | The UAE launch airstrikes on pro-government positions in Abyan, reportedly killing hundreds of soldiers
  • 2022
    • Mar. | The Coalition announces a unilateral ceasefire amid ongoing negotiations between the Houthis and the Yemeni government
  • 2023
    • Feb. – Apr. | The Coalition lifts most restrictions on commercial goods entering Yemen’s ports
    • Dec. 23 | UNSE Grundberg announces warring parties’ commitment to a ceasefire