Gulf military exercise concludes in Saudi Arabia with UAE participation amid Yemen tensions

By Hussein Elkabany and Tarek Chouiref

ISTANBUL (AA) - A joint Gulf military exercise concluded in Saudi Arabia on Friday with the participation of the UAE, just days after rare and sharp tensions surfaced between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over developments in neighboring Yemen.

The UAE Defense Ministry said in a statement that the “Gulf Shield 2026” military drill was conducted in Saudi Arabia with the participation of air force and air defense units from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, alongside the GCC Unified Military Command.

The six-member GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said in a separate statement that the exercise was held as part of efforts to strengthen regional defense cooperation and enhance combat readiness among Gulf forces.

According to the ministry, the drill included advanced operational scenarios, featuring simulations of complex aerial and missile threats, joint air maneuvers, and integrated field exercises designed to improve coordination in a joint operational environment.

The UAE announced its participation in the “Gulf Shield 2026” exercise earlier this week.

The drills come against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Yemen. On Dec. 30, Saudi authorities accused Abu Dhabi of backing military moves by the Southern Transitional Council in Yemen’s eastern provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, which border the kingdom.

On the same day, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it had targeted an arms shipment in Hadramout allegedly originating from the UAE. Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi subsequently announced the cancellation of a joint defense agreement with Abu Dhabi, calling for the withdrawal of Emirati forces within 24 hours.

The UAE rejected the accusations, saying the weapons shipment was intended solely for its own forces in Yemen, and later announced the withdrawal of its remaining troops from the country.

Over the weekend, government-aligned “Nation Shield” forces regained control of Hadramout and Al-Mahra from Southern Transitional Council forces, with military backing from the Saudi-led coalition.

North and South Yemen were unified on May 22, 1990, forming the Republic of Yemen. More than three decades later, the question of southern identity and governance remains one of the country’s most volatile fault lines.