Saudi Arabia is moving to end the role of the United Arab Emirates in Yemen and diminish its neighbor’s influence in other arenas, including the Red Sea, as tensions rise in the longstanding rivalry between the two Gulf powerhouses.
After ordering the UAE to withdraw troops from Yemen and bombing a shipment of weapons it said Abu Dhabi was delivering to secessionists, Riyadh is now looking to bring all UAE-backed factions in the deeply divided country under its control, according to two people briefed on the situation. The two OPEC+ members have jockeyed for influence in the war-torn, strategically located nation for years.