Will Al-Mahrah be a new battlefield between Saudi Arabia and the UAE?

ADEN, Feb. 10 (YPA) -The head of the “Political Studies Center”, funded by the UAE, Khaled Al-Shamiri, confirmed that the spread of Saudi-backed factions in Al-Mahrah Governorate is part of a larger game being orchestrated outside the framework of the “Southern Cause”.

In a post on the platform “X” on Sunday, Al-Shamiri emphasized that the arrival of the “Dera Al-Watan” factions to Al-Mahrah over the past two days is not merely a military deployment but a step in a larger game being designed beyond the “will of the South”.

In his post, Al-Shamiri questioned the presence of these factions, asking, “Who holds the decision-making power, and who is reshaping the scene according to their vision?”

He indicated that the answer to this question holds significant surprises for those who read between the lines.

Saudi Arabia, through the establishment of the “Dera Al-Watan” factions in Al-Mahrah, aims to protect the construction of an oil pipeline from its territory through Yemeni lands in the governorate, reaching the Arabian Sea.

This comes after strong opposition from tribal leaders and the removal of pipeline markers in 2018.

The Saudi-backed the “Dera Al-Watan” forces factions arrived in the coastal district of Qishn in Al-Mahrah, amid a conflict of interests between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

This follows the UAE’s acquisition, through a suspicious deal with the coalition government in 2021, of the Qishn Port to establish a maritime foothold at Ras Sharma for extracting mineral resources through an Emirati company.

Fingers have been pointed at the Emirati company “Thani Dubai Mining Limited” for exploiting the Qishn Port in Al-Mahrah to export minerals from the surrounding mountains in Sharma, which are rich in mineral resources.

This has sparked widespread local rejection and dissatisfaction, as the local population will not benefit from these suspicious deals but will instead suffer from environmental pollution.

@E.Y.M