Saudi-led Coalition

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.