Surprise Emirati Retreat After Saudi Threats Against Mohammed bin Zayed
Financial Times: Abu Dhabi Imposes “Silence” on Its Platforms and Reorders Its Internal House Fearing Saudi Escalation
NYN | Reports and Analyses
The British newspaper Financial Times has revealed a clear Emirati move to reduce tensions with Saudi Arabia, following an unprecedented political escalation from Riyadh amid a struggle for influence between the two sides, particularly over the Yemen file.
According to the newspaper, the Emirati leadership issued direct instructions to media figures and activists aligned with it on social media platforms to adhere to a policy of “silence” and refrain from responding to the escalating Saudi criticism, a step seen as an attempt to contain a crisis that was rapidly worsening.
Saudi Signals Crossing Red Lines
The paper noted that this “forced de-escalation” came after the dispute between the two countries reached a sensitive stage, marked by an undeclared Saudi escalation in which Riyadh hinted at targeting UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed or working to remove him, according to the newspaper’s characterization.
Financial Times described this development as a dangerous shift in the nature of the dispute, as it moved from a regional power struggle to direct messages touching the very apex of power in Abu Dhabi.
Tahnoun bin Zayed: The Spark That Ignited the Crisis
The newspaper considered Saudi Arabia’s public welcome of Mohammed bin Zayed’s brother, Tahnoun bin Zayed, and his statements describing Saudi Arabia as “his country,” as the most dangerous turning point in the crisis — “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
According to the report, this prompted Mohammed bin Zayed to take a series of urgent internal measures, including restructuring sovereign wealth funds, stripping his brother Tahnoun of influence, and strengthening the position of his son Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed in key decision-making centers, in an effort to repair the internal front and safeguard the unity of the ruling family.
Yemen at the Heart of the Conflict — and Calculated Withdrawal Messages
This shift coincides with repeated statements by advisers close to the Emirati presidency, most notably Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, who spoke of the UAE “disengaging from Yemen.” These messages were widely interpreted as an attempt to absorb Saudi anger.
Observers believe these statements came after Riyadh decided to curtail Emirati influence in southern and eastern Yemen, prompting Abu Dhabi to take a step back to avoid an escalation that could threaten the cohesion of the ruling family, amid what the newspaper described as “a deliberate Saudi playing on the strings of internal division.”
