Ten years of UAE support in Yemen comes to an end

Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s decision to join the Arab Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen in 2015 represented a strategic, responsible, and security-driven policy choice aligned with the broader imperative of safeguarding regional stability. With the UAE’s announcement on December 30, 2025 of the withdrawal of its remaining counterterrorism units from Yemen, a ten-year chapter of Emirati engagement concludes—one marked by decisive contributions to counterterrorism, stabilization, institutional rehabilitation, and large-scale humanitarian and development assistance exceeding $8 billion.

On December 30, 2025, the UAE officially declared the completion of the mission of its remaining counterterrorism units in Yemen. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the decision was voluntary and executed in a manner ensuring the safety of personnel and in coordination with relevant stakeholders. This withdrawal signals a transition from a security-centered role toward a legacy defined increasingly by stabilization and development outcomes.

The scope of the UAE’s engagement extends beyond conventional military metrics. Emirati armed forces personnel, alongside national institutions, contributed to what can be described as a comprehensive security-humanitarian model. Their role combined operational military support with sustained humanitarian outreach across Yemeni governorates, benefiting millions of civilians through development and relief projects.

 Emirati forces were not solely engaged in liberation operations and counterterrorism missions; from the earliest stages of Operation Decisive Storm, they were integral to humanitarian relief efforts that alleviated civilian suffering. This dual role—security provider and humanitarian actor—formed a defining feature of the UAE’s approach.

Since March 2015, the UAE’s role in Yemen evolved along three simultaneous and interlinked tracks:

Emirati forces also played a key role in facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid into conflict zones and evacuating thousands of war-wounded Yemenis for medical treatment abroad at the UAE’s expense.

Through international organizations—particularly the United Nations—the UAE delivered nearly US$8 billion in humanitarian and stabilization assistance. Efforts included the reconstruction of hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure such as water and electricity systems, in addition to the distribution of tens of thousands of tons of food and essential supplies.

A study published by the European Centre for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Studies (ECCI) in Bonn identifies the UAE as a model of soft power built upon humanitarian and development assistance. This framework reflects the country’s foreign policy values—tolerance, solidarity, and human dignity—and has strengthened its position as an influential global humanitarian actor.

Since the Union’s establishment in 1971 until mid-2024, total UAE foreign aid reached approximately $98 billion. In 2025 alone, Emirati global humanitarian assistance amounted to $1.46 billion, placing the country among the world’s leading humanitarian donors according to UN data. This broader international profile contextualises its sustained engagement in Yemen.

Beyond military involvement, UAE engagement in Yemen encompassed extensive humanitarian and development programming, particularly in infrastructure, health, education, energy, and water sectors.

Between 2015 and 2025, UAE-implemented development projects in Yemen exceeded US$7 billion, including a US$1 billion allocation in November 2025 for electricity, energy, and water initiatives. These projects contributed to power generation capacity through diversified sources:

These initiatives delivered clean and reliable energy to millions of residents.

The UAE also dispatched hundreds of relief convoys carrying thousands of tons of food assistance and over 1,100 tons of medical supplies. In 2025, humanitarian programs addressed malnutrition in Socotra, supported flood-affected families on the western coast (with emergency aid reaching 960 families), continued food basket distributions, opened a new school in Hadramout, and implemented school supply initiatives in Taiz and Al-Hudaydah.

The UAE has advanced an integrated humanitarian model combining immediate relief with long-term development support. Experiences in Yemen, Gaza, Sudan, and Lebanon—alongside responses to global crises—demonstrate its capacity for rapid, coordinated mobilization of financial and logistical resources in partnership with international organizations.

Emirati humanitarian policy extends beyond emergency response to strengthening essential sectors—health, education, energy, and water—thereby enhancing community resilience and reducing future vulnerability.

Looking ahead, UAE engagement is expected to deepen the integration of humanitarian action with preventive diplomacy, reinforcing regional and international stability. Expanded partnerships with the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations are likely, alongside increased emphasis on early response mechanisms, flexible financing, and innovation in logistics and technology.

In its statements before the UN Security Council, delivered by Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab, the UAE reaffirmed that its participation in the Arab Coalition since 2015 was based on an official request from the Yemeni government. Over the past decade, in coordination with coalition partners and Yemeni stakeholders, UAE contributions included the liberation of Aden, the expulsion of Al-Qaeda from Mukalla, securing Yemen’s western coast, and defending Marib.

The UAE consistently articulated its objectives as protecting Yemen and its people from Houthi aggression, combating terrorism, strengthening Yemeni security, stability, and sovereignty, and contributing to regional and international peace and security.