Saudi Arabia calls for Yemen talks as tensions rise with UAE

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (file image)

• Saudi Arabia urges Yemen's southern factions to join Riyadh talks for solutions.
• UAE announces full military and aid withdrawal from Yemen
• STC declares two-year transitional period aiming for independence referendum

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Saudi Arabia called on Yemen’s southern factions to enter into talks in Riyadh aimed at finding “just solutions,” as clashes continued between Saudi-backed forces and separatist rivals backed by the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE’s ministry of defense said following the eruption of clashes that it has completed the withdrawal of all its armed forces from Yemen, according to a statement carried by the Emirates News Agency.

Separately, the foreign ministry said in a statement that “the UAE notes that this decision was not limited to the military dimension, but also encompassed the cessation of all forms of support across various sectors, including development and humanitarian assistance.”

#Statement | In response to the request of H.E. Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, to convene a comprehensive conference in Riyadh to bring together all southern factions to discuss just solutions to the southern cause. pic.twitter.com/uWfJWeth13

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) January 3, 2026

The goal, the ministry said, is to prevent further escalation and create conditions “conducive to stability” in the nation of some 42 million people.

Previous Saudi allegations that Abu Dhabi has been directing the separatist group in the south of Yemen in an attempt to undermine its Gulf neighbor’s security were denied by the UAE last week.

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council on Friday announced a two-year “transitional period” that ultimately aims for a referendum on independence, even as the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen conducted airstrikes as it seeks to take over bases in Hadramout, Yemen’s largest province, near the border with Saudi Arabia.

In a foreign ministry statement, Saudi Arabia said it calls upon all factions to actively participate in the upcoming conference “to develop a comprehensive vision for just solutions.”

The STC seized control of Hadramout and a second province in December in a surprise attack quickly rejected by Saudi Arabia and the internationally-recognized government in Yemen.

The UAE called upon Yemenis to “prioritize wisdom, exercise restraint, and work toward achieving security and stability in the country.”