Follow us on social

Shutterstock_482067877-scaled

What the UAE takeover of Yemen's islands really means

Far from withdrawing from the war in Yemen, the Emirates is pursuing a hard-line and establishing itself as a military power for the long haul.

Analysis | Middle East

Although the United Arab Emirates militarily withdrew from Yemen in 2019, it never truly left. To this day, the UAE remains a major influence in the impoverished country, and now it is exploiting Yemen’s vulnerabilities by establishing a hold in Mayun Island and UNESCO protected Socotra Island. This encroachment threatens to lengthen the devastating conflict in Yemen. 

Initially, the UAE was directly involved in the war as a partner to the Saudi-led coalition. In 2019, they withdrew their soldiers from Yemen, with some suspecting that this move was partly motivated by international criticism related to the impact of the war on civilians and the humanitarian crisis. However, the UAE maintains multiple non-state armed groups and supports around 90,000 soldiers that undermine the U.N.-recognized Yemeni government. Moreover, the UAE controls several key ports and airports in Yemen. 

Currently, a military base is being built on Yemen’s Mayun Island — a volcanic island off Yemen situated in a maritime choke point for crucial energy shipments and commercial cargo. The island itself can provide a base for any operation into the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and East Africa. Furthermore, it is easy to launch airstrikes into mainland Yemen from the island. The construction of the base violates Yemen’s sovereignty as the U.N.-recognized Yemeni government was not informed about the construction. While no country has claimed the air base, there are clear links to the UAE. 

The UAE is also in control of Socotra Island. While Socotra is technically under the rule of the Southern Transitional Council — separatists who call for an independent South Yemen — the UAE is in de facto control. The island is located between the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and East Africa. Due to its strategic location near major shipping routes, the UAE has built military bases on the island which it uses to collect intelligence on maritime traffic and monitor oil trading channels. 

UAE military bases and other influences are dramatically changing the rhythms of everyday life in Socotra. The 60,000 inhabitants have lived on the island for thousands of years with limited contact with the outside world, if any.

Now, the UAE is funding major infrastructure projects on the island. These include docks, hospitals, and communication networks that link Socotris to the UAE — not Yemen. It is conducting its own census and inviting influential Socotris to Abu Dhabi for free healthcare and special work permits. There are even rumors that the UAE is planning to hold a referendum on seceding from the mainland and officially becoming part of the Emirates.

The UAE is also bringing tourists to the island without the permission of the U.N.-recognized Yemeni government. To ensure the protection of the island, Yemeni officials and island authorities established eco-tourism procedures, which the UAE does not follow. Current entry visas to the island are delinked from the Yemeni immigration system and do not subject visitors to applicable legal requirements. To build tourism and military infrastructure, the UAE has accelerated construction on parts of the island despite the fragile ecosystems. Tourists from the Gulf and Israel arrive weekly on two-hour flights from Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, Yemeni citizens are denied access to the island by the UAE. 

This is especially worrying as Socotra is one of the most biodiversity rich islands in the world. It supports globally significant populations of animals, including a number of endangered species. Seventy percent of the island is protected land and it hosts 700 endemic species. The Yemeni website “Green Dream” published a report on UAE policies that harm Socotra’s environment. The report describes a wide array of environmental malpractices including overfishing, illegal trade in endemic species, increased waste, and infringing on the island’s cultural fabric. 

Multiple international organizations have expressed concerns over the UAE’s actions in Socotra and its harmful effects on the population and environment. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has cited concerns over environmental degradation on the island. These concerns include uncontrolled development, unsustainable use of natural resources, the introduction of alien and invasive species, and habitat degradation. Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified Socotra as an area of significant concern. While Socotra was relatively well-protected prior to the war, rapid development on the island is increasingly coming at the expense of its unique environment. Given the importance of the island, the UAE must be held accountable for the destruction of the diverse ecosystems that Socotra hosts — ecosystems that Socotris have coexisted with for centuries. 

As Farea al-Muslimi, a non-resident fellow at Chatham House, notes: “The UAE has surprised everyone, even themselves, with how well they’ve done militarily in Yemen. They have almost had free rein as a result to control and have presence in whatever they want in the country, including Yemen’s ports, which is a prize for them.” But Socotra is not a prize. It is a rich ecosystem with an indigenous population. The prime location of the island has created a unique culture influenced by the Middle East, Africa, and India. Socotris value their heritage and environment, which are now both under threat. 

Not only is Socotra under threat, but the entirety of Yemen. Through building military bases both in Socotra and Mayun Island, the UAE is aggressively pursuing a hard-line stance in Yemen. It is establishing itself as a military power for the long haul. 

Despite the UAE’s belligerent actions in Yemen, the Biden administration decided to resume a $23 billion arms sales deal with the country. This is disastrous given the UAE’s continued involvement in the war within mainland Yemen, but also its military infringement on Yemen’s islands that threaten to prolong the war.  

The UAE has proven itself to be a hostile actor within Yemen. The more Yemeni land it controls, the larger impediment it poses to peace efforts within the country. The international community cannot allow the UAE to build illegal military bases on Yemeni land, especially at the cost of local ways of life and environmental degradation. Socotra is a UNESCO world heritage site— not Dubai 2.0. 


Unidentified Yemeni children with parents walk on the beach of the Island of Socotra. Socotra Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.
Analysis | Middle East
Kim Jong Un
Top photo credit: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the construction site of the Ragwon County Offshore Farm, North Korea July 13, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS

Kim Jong Un is nuking up and playing hard to get

Asia-Pacific

President Donald Trump’s second term has so far been a series of “shock and awe” campaigns both at home and abroad. But so far has left North Korea untouched even as it arms for the future.

The president dramatically broke with precedent during his first term, holding two summits as well as a brief meeting at the Demilitarized Zone with the North’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. Unfortunately, engagement crashed and burned in Hanoi. The DPRK then pulled back, essentially severing contact with both the U.S. and South Korea.

keep readingShow less
Why new CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper is as wrong as the old one
Top photo credit: U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper speaks to guests at the IISS Manama Dialogue in Manama, Bahrain, November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Why new CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper is as wrong as the old one

Middle East

If accounts of President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iranian nuclear facilities this past month are to be believed, the president’s initial impulse to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict failed to survive the prodding of hawkish advisers, chiefly U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Michael Kurilla.

With Kurilla, an Iran hawk and staunch ally of both the Israeli government and erstwhile national security adviser Mike Waltz, set to leave office this summer, advocates of a more restrained foreign policy may understandably feel like they are out of the woods.

keep readingShow less
Putin Trump
Top photo credit: Vladimir Putin (Office of the President of the Russian Federation) and Donald Trump (US Southern Command photo)

How Trump's 50-day deadline threat against Putin will backfire

Europe

In the first six months of his second term, President Donald Trump has demonstrated his love for three things: deals, tariffs, and ultimatums.

He got to combine these passions during his Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday. Only moments after the two leaders announced a new plan to get military aid to Ukraine, Trump issued an ominous 50-day deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire. “We're going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don't have a deal within 50 days,” Trump told the assembled reporters.

keep readingShow less

LATEST

QIOSK

Newsletter

Subscribe now to our weekly round-up and don't miss a beat with your favorite RS contributors and reporters, as well as staff analysis, opinion, and news promoting a positive, non-partisan vision of U.S. foreign policy.