Saudi Arabia reinforces ‘Hadramout Tribal Alliance’ with dozens of military vehicles

HADRAMOUT, Oct. 24 (YPA) – Saudi Arabia has reinforced the Hadramout Tribal Alliance with dozens of military vehicles as part of a wider plan to establish armed factions in the oil-rich province under the banner “Protecting Hadramout,” a local source told  Yemen Press Agency (YPA).

The source said the Saudi-backed factions, led by Amr bin Habrish, head of the Hadramout Tribal Alliance, have received more than 200 military vehicles. These vehicles were transported to the alliance’s camps in the Al-Hadbah area of Ghayl Bin Yamin district from the Al-Wadea border crossing.

He confirmed that the reinforcements came after the graduation of a new batch of fighters and are part of a Saudi-funded plan to form about ten brigades under the “Protecting Hadramout” umbrella.

According to the source, the first operational tasks for the Saudi-backed factions will be to seize and secure the province’s oil fields, in a move aimed at ousting First Military Region forces loyal to the Islah Party, which are currently stationed in the districts of Hadramout Valley.

He added that the next phase will involve an official decree from Rashad Al-Alimi, president of the Presidential Leadership Council, issued under direct Saudi guidance, to formally integrate the factions into the Ministry of Defense. Once fully integrated, the factions are expected to be tasked with securing the Al-Dhaba oil port on the Arabian Sea, which has been under the control of UAE-backed forces since 2016.

The Hadramawt Tribal Alliance has already begun establishing several military brigades within the “Protecting Hadramout” factions, following the announcement of a so-called “autonomous rule” in the province, in what analysts see as part of Saudi efforts to curb growing Emirati influence in the region, which Riyadh considers as its strategic depth.

@E.Y.M