Name: Saudi coalition says separatist leader fled Yemen with UAE help
Uploaded: 2026-01-09T08:22:17.818Z
Duration: 1 min 48 s
Description: The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said that the United Arab Emirates had spirited a separatist leader out of the country by boat in a dramatic twist to a rift between the Gulf powers, as Saudi-backed forces advanced to the port of Aden after losing ground there.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said that the United Arab Emirates had spirited a separatist leader out of the country by boat in a dramatic twist to a rift between the Gulf powers, as Saudi-backed forces advanced to the port of Aden after losing ground there.

Sana'a

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has accused the United Arab Emirates of assisting Adaris al-Zubaydi, leader of the Southern Transitional Council, in fleeing the country. Zubaydi's escape comes amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE following the STC's recent takeover of southern Yemen, including the port city of Aden.

According to the coalition, Zubaydi traveled from Yemen to Somaliland and then to Mogadishu before a flight was tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi, though his current whereabouts remain unconfirmed. The incident has intensified the ongoing crisis in Yemen, where Saudi and UAE forces previously fought together against the Iran-backed Houthis.

Saudi coalition says separatist leader fled Yemen with UAE help

Military forces were seen manning checkpoints in parts of Aden on Thursday, as the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said the United Arab Emirates had spirited a separatist leader out of the country. It's a dramatic twist to a row between the two Gulf powers. The escape of Adaris al-Zubaydi, head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, could exacerbate tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Saudi claim the UAE helped Zubaydi escape raises the stakes in an ongoing crisis since the separatists swept through southern Yemen, including Aden. Riyadh declared the move a threat to its national security, and witnesses said Saudi-backed forces had advanced to the port of Aden after losing ground there. Zubaydi had failed to show up to Riyadh for crisis talks over turmoil in southern Yemen on Wednesday. In a statement, the Saudi-led coalition said Zubaydi had left Yemen for Somaliland before boarding an aircraft to Mogadishu that was later tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi. The coalition did not say if Zubaydi was still aboard en route to the UAE capital, but any confirmation of his presence in Abu Dhabi could anger Saudi Arabia. Zubaydi's group said he was overseeing military and security operations in Aden to prevent a security vacuum there. The port city had been the main seat of power in Yemen outside Houthi-controlled areas since 2015. Leaders of the Saudi-backed government left the city for Saudi Arabia when the STC took control last month. Saudi Arabia and the UAE previously battled the Iran-backed Houthis together in Yemen's civil war, which caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

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