Protests in Aden Demand Expulsion of Faleh Al-Shahrani Amid Escalating Saudi–UAE Rivalry in Southern Yemen

NYN | Reports and Analyses 

The city of Aden witnessed new protests yesterday calling for the expulsion of Faleh Al-Shahrani, an advisor at the Saudi Royal Court who also serves as an advisor to the commander of the Joint Forces. The move reflects rising tensions within the coalition camp in southern Yemen.

These protests came days after similar demonstrations in Shabwa, amid growing accusations that Al-Shahrani is overseeing the management of the security and military landscape in areas controlled by coalition-aligned forces.

Calls from Southern Transitional Council Leaders and Moves from Abu Dhabi

According to local sources, the latest protests followed a call launched by the former president of the Southern Transitional Council via the “X” platform, marking the second such move since his departure to Abu Dhabi, after tensions with Saudi Arabia and what were described as “pursuit” attempts inside Aden.

Figures affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council accuse Riyadh of attempting to restructure the military and security map in the south at the expense of Abu Dhabi’s influence and that of its local allies.

Al-Shahrani at the Center of Military and Security Management

Southern political factions view Faleh Al-Shahrani as the “most powerful man” in managing the military and security files in the south, particularly following what local sources describe as a “political divorce” between the two heads of the Saudi–UAE coalition in the southern governorates.

Expanding Saudi–UAE Power Struggle Beyond Yemen

In a related context, political reports indicate that tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have reached a stage described as a regional “bone-breaking” confrontation, no longer limited to Yemen but extending to other sensitive regional files, most notably Sudan and Somalia.

Reports: Riyadh Pulling Abu Dhabi’s Allies and Reshaping Camps

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar quoted an Egyptian official as saying that the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, expressed to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi his dissatisfaction with Saudi moves he said were aimed at “politically overturning him,” through direct communication with the ruler of Dubai and several other emirate rulers.