What the UAE actually did in Yemen - and why it will still matter

The UAE’s decision to withdraw its remaining counter-terrorism teams from Yemen does not erase its footprint; it underscores an enduring legacy in the country.

Amid the swirl of accusations, it is worth pausing to ask a basic question: what role did the UAE actually play in Yemen, and what did it achieve?

Since the Saudi-led coalition began in 2015, the UAE focused on two main goals in Yemen: stopping the Iran-backed Houthis from advancing and breaking up extremist groups that grew during the country’s collapse. These priorities, more than political alliances, shaped its military actions.

When the war began, Emirati forces joined Saudi Arabia to stop the Houthis from reaching Aden and Yemen’s southern coast. This move was crucial. Taking back the city, which became the temporary capital in mid-2015, stopped the Houthis’ progress and kept them from controlling the south.

Later, operations along the Red Sea coast, such as capturing Mokha, limited Houthi supply lines and made international shipping safer. This was important not just for Gulf countries, but also for western partners who rely on safe sea trade. The campaign against the Houthis reached the edge of Hodeidah and almost took the port city before being stopped by pressure from these same countries.

However, the UAE’s most lasting impact was in counterterrorism, not in direct fighting on the front lines.

As Yemen broke apart, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula quickly took advantage. In 2015, AQAP took control of Mukalla, Yemen’s third-largest port, and used it to make tens of millions of dollars. The group, seen by Washington as one of Al Qaeda’s strongest branches, grew faster than ever before.

The UAE responded by sending special forces and, importantly, by creating local partner units that could keep control of territory. In April 2016, Yemeni forces backed by the UAE, with help from US intelligence, surveillance, and air refuelling, drove AQAP out of Mukalla in a coordinated operation. This took away the group’s most valuable base.

As Yemen broke apart, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula quickly took advantage

At the time, retired General Anthony Zinni, who once led US Central Command, called the UAE “a top military” in the region and said it was “exponentially more capable than its size might indicate”. He also noted the UAE’s willingness to fight with the US even when it suffered losses.

Mukalla was a turning point. AQAP lost both territory and its ability to act like a small state.