Trending:US sanctions billUS seizure of oil tankerICE Minneapolis shootingGreenlandJana NayaganBangladesh T20 World Cup rowYemen’s separatist leader fled with UAE’s help, says Saudi Arabia-led coalitionreuters • January 8, 2026, 14:17:40 ISTWhatsapp Facebook TwitterAmid escalating tensions between the two Arab giants, the Saudi-led coalition has claimed that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of the southern separatists, fled Yemen with help from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). AdvertisementSubscribe Join Us+ Follow us On GoogleChoose Firstpost on GoogleA billboard displays an image of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of Yemen's separatist group Southern Transitional Council (STC). (Photo: Fawaz Salman/Reuters)The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of a group of southern separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates, fled Yemen by boat before boarding an aircraft to Mogadishu that landed at a military airport in Abu Dhabi. The drama escalates a row between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the most powerful countries in the oil-rich Gulf. Zubaidi had failed to show up in Riyadh for crisis talks over turmoil in southern Yemen on Wednesday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADThe separatists said he had been asked to go to Saudi Arabia under threat. The Saudi claim that the UAE helped him escape raises the stakes in a crisis that erupted last month when the separatists swept through southern Yemen and reached the border with Saudi Arabia. More from World Pakistan begged US to save it from Op Sindoor: New documents bust Trump's mediation claims Trump pulls US out of 66 global bodies, including India-led Solar AllianceThe fast-moving developments caused a rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, fracturing a coalition headed by Yemen’s internationally recognised government which is battling the Iran-backed Houthis. The close US allies have sharp differences over a wide range of volatile issues across the Middle East —from geopolitics to oil output— which burst out into the open with the crisis in Yemen. Brazen escapeA delegation from Zubaidi’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) held fruitful talks in Riyadh with the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, said Mohammed Al Ghaith, a senior official of the group. His comments on X suggested a split may be emerging among the separatists, complicating efforts to stabilise the south as tension rises between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Quick ReadsView AllRussia sanctions bill: Will US sanction itself on Russian uranium?Stephen Miller: The rise of Trump’s ‘prime minister’ from deportation drive to Maduro’s capture — now GreenlandIn a statement on Thursday, the coalition said Zubaidi and others accompanying him on the plane to Mogadishu from Somaliland were under the supervision of UAE officers and waited an hour before flying to a military airport in Abu Dhabi. The coalition did not clearly say if Zubaidi was still aboard en route to the UAE capital. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADIf his presence in the UAE capital is confirmed, it could anger the Saudis, who pressured the UAE to rein separatists after their advance through south Yemen. The UAE, which withdrew its remaining forces from Yemen, has called for de-escalation in the country, reeling from one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises caused by the civil war. There was no immediate comment from the UAE or the Southern Transitional Council headed by Zubaidi. The United Arab Emirates has pursued an assertive foreign policy and carved out its own sphere of influence across the Middle East and Africa, a strategy thrown into the spotlight after the rare military escalation with Saudi Arabia in Yemen. The plane from Mogadishu turned off its identification system over the Gulf of Oman, before turning it back on 10 minutes prior to arrival at (Al Reef) military airport in Abu Dhabi, the coalition said. The coalition statement also mentioned by name the UAE officer whose help Zubaidi had sought. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADA day e.
