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08-01-2026
CAIRO/ RIYADH: Egypt says it’s aligned with Saudi Arabia on the conflicts in Yemen and Sudan at a time of heightened regional instability and a growing rivalry with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
During talks in Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stressed on Monday their countries’ “identical” positions on “reaching peaceful solutions to the region’s crises”, an Egyptian presidency statement said.
Solutions must “preserve the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states”, it said, singling out Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, and the Gaza Strip.
The meeting comes against a backdrop of widening differences between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, once close partners in regional politics.
In Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have long supported rival factions within the fragmented, internationally recognized government, which is largely bound by opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis.
Tensions escalated in December when the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) captured two strategic provinces, angering Riyadh.
A delegation led by STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi will travel to Saudi Arabia, two unnamed sources told Reuters news agency on Monday. The visit comes days after the STC welcomed a call for dialogue by Saudi Arabia to end the recent military escalation.
El-Sisi welcomed Saudi Arabia’s proposal to host an “inclusive conference” for southern Yemeni groups, while Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for de-escalation and a Yemeni-led political settlement.
Sudan is another point of friction, where Egypt and Saudi Arabia back the country’s de facto leader while the UAE has been accused of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Competition has also extended to the Horn of Africa, a strategically vital region along key global shipping routes.
Saudi Arabia has sought to bolster ties with Somalia’s federal government, while the UAE has cultivated close relations with Ethiopia and Somaliland, a self-declared republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991.
Israel’s recent move to recognize Somaliland, welcomed by some in Abu Dhabi but condemned by Riyadh, has further heightened regional sensitivities.
However, Saudi Arabia has released more details on the coalition bombing of the Yemeni port of Mukalla, which has triggered tensions with Gulf Arab neighbor the United Arab Emirates and prompted the latter to say it will withdraw its forces from Yemen.
Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki al-Maliki showed images documenting the military operation carried out early on Tuesday morning.
He stated that upon entering the port of Mukalla, it became clear that the two ships were carrying more than 80 vehicles and containers of weapons and ammunition. He added that the UAE side transferred vehicles, containers, and Emirati personnel to the al-Rayyan base without informing Saudi Arabia.
The spokesman said the coalition adhered to the rules of engagement during the military operation.
The UAE announced the withdrawal of its forces from Yemen, declaring an end to what it called “counterterrorism” operations there, after Riyadh accused Abu Dhabi of supporting separatists in Yemen.
The announcement on Tuesday came after Yemen’s internationally recognized government demanded the UAE pull its forces from the country within 24 hours, a call backed by Saudi Arabia. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
