NYN | News
The U.S.-based magazine The Maritime Executive revealed on Tuesday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has begun building a network of airstrips and air bases across islands and coastal provinces of Yemen overlooking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The reported goal is to enhance maritime security and counter threats posed by Houthi forces.
According to the magazine’s report, these aerial installations, constructed over the past several years, are intended to monitor and secure vital maritime routes, particularly those near the port city of Hodeidah, amid the Houthis’ (Sana’a forces) continuing ability to target vessels linked to Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
The report stated that the new airfields include locations on Zuqur Island, Bab al-Mandab, Dhobab, and the Socotra Archipelago. It also noted that the construction companies and support vessels involved in building these facilities are linked to the UAE, and that the territories hosting them are controlled by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC).
The magazine added that these airstrips feature short runways, suitable for drones, transport planes, and surveillance aircraft, but are not equipped to host fighter jets and lack permanent infrastructure—suggesting they are likely intended for temporary reconnaissance missions or intelligence operations.
In a related development, the Associated Press (AP) published recent satellite images showing the completion of an airstrip on Zuqur Island, which could enhance the UAE’s capacity to monitor the Red Sea and intercept ships bound for Hodeidah’s ports.
This comes as Saudi Arabia recently announced a “Yemeni Maritime Security Partnership Conference” with U.S. support, interpreted by observers as an effort to coordinate regional action against the Sana’a forces. Meanwhile, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of Ansar Allah, denounced the move as an attempt to protect Israeli vessels heading toward Red Sea ports.
Israeli analysts have also suggested that Israel seeks to expand its presence in the Red Sea, in cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to gain “operational flexibility” against the Sana’a forces—amid growing fears that Yemen’s waterways could become an open naval confrontation zone.
