A report published on October 27, 2026, highlights a clandestine partnership between the United Arab Emirates and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Citing four informed sources, the report states that Abu Dhabi shared intelligence with the Yemeni rebels to facilitate their operations against Riyadh-backed forces, involving factions aligned with the UAE. A U.S. official reportedly demanded that Abu Dhabi end this collaboration, marking the deepening rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE regarding Yemen's future. Since 2017, the UAE's support for the Southern Transitional Council has weakened the internationally recognized government, aimed at controlling strategic points in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait while limiting Saudi influence. This regional strategy is consistent with Abu Dhabi's actions elsewhere: supporting the RSF in Sudan, consolidating military and economic presence in Somaliland, and backing Khalifa Haftar's forces in Libya to secure access to key resources and infrastructure through local proxies.