Saudi Arabia escalates movements in Mahra to secure oil pipeline project

MAHRA, Jan. 27 (YPA) – Saudi Arabia has recently initiated provocative movements in Mahra, Yemen’s eastern border province, aiming to pave the way for its long-standing strategic project, which is extending an oil pipeline from the Kharkhir region through Yemeni territory to the open waters of the Arabian Sea.

The Saudi-funded “Dera Al-Watan”factions have taken the first operational steps by seizing control of sensitive border sites and centers in the areas of Kharkhir, the Yemeni Border Guard posts, and Dahya. These moves were publicly justified under the pretext of “enhancing security” and “combating smuggling.”

Tribal Resistance and Armed Clashes

Over the past two days, the region has witnessed armed clashes between local Mahri tribesmen and the Dera Al-Watan factions, led by the deputy commander Saad bin Dudwi Samouda. These confrontations near the border areas have revived tensions reminiscent of late 2017, when tribal fighters uprooted concrete markers placed by Saudi forces to delineate the pipeline route in the Tawf Shahr and Dahya regions.

The real objective behind these border escalations appears to be the seizure and annexation of what remains of the Kharkhir region and other Yemeni lands. This is intended to secure the pipeline’s path and protect construction excavations from any tribal opposition to the renewed Saudi project.

Strategic Motives: Bypassing the Strait of Hormuz

The frantic Saudi push to extend the pipeline follows the systematic disruption of Nashton Port. Riyadh’s strategic plan aims to transform the port into its own private oil terminal in the future.

This move serves as an escape route from potential Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz in the event of a military escalation between Tehran, Washington, and the Israeli occupation. Riyadh is actively seeking secure alternatives to ensure the uninterrupted flow of crude oil to the Arabian Sea.

Erosion of Sovereignty

The current events confirm that Saudi movements—which effectively began in 2017 with the military takeover of the province, far from the frontlines with Sanaa forces—are nothing more than an attempt to erode Yemeni sovereignty. It is seen as a move to impose a new geographic reality that serves Riyadh’s purely economic and oil-related interests.

An Uncertain Future

Mahra is heading toward a dangerous turning point between undeclared Saudi insistence on securing the pipeline at any cost and the tribal rejection of what they describe as “foreign occupation.” Consequently, the province remains a candidate for further tribal escalation against the Saudi project.

Open questions remain regarding the ability of the local tribes to thwart a Saudi dream that views Mahra’s land as merely a transit corridor for pipelines to achieve regional economic ambitions.

YPA