Hadhramaut Autonomy: Local Aspiration Or A Saudi-UAE Tug-Of-War?
Hadhramaut Autonomy: Local Aspiration Or A Saudi–UAE Tug-Of-War?
The eastern Yemeni governorate of Hadhramaut has become a testing ground for regional rivalries, as Saudi Arabia and the UAE compete for control under the guise of supporting local autonomy.
Yemen’s strategic governorate of Hadhramaut, rich in oil and natural resources, is undergoing a rapid and unprecedented transformation. In recent months, the Hadhramaut Tribes Alliance (HTA) – a once loosely organized tribal coalition – has imposed a new political-military equation on the ground, shifting from demands for local representation to a full-fledged autonomy project.
This transformation, supported directly by Saudi Arabia through political coordination and military backing, has reignited long-standing rivalries over Yemen’s most resource-rich region.
Hadhramaut spans 36 percent of Yemen’s territory and is home to the country’s largest oil reserves. It includes vital ports like Mukalla, Al-Shihr, and the oil terminal at Al-Dhabba. With 80 percent of Yemen’s oil production sourced from Hadhrami territory, whoever controls Hadhramaut holds a powerful card over Yemen’s economy and access to Arabian Sea maritime routes.
Riyadh’s involvement aims to safeguard its commercial and strategic interests in the region, particularly as it develops alternatives to chokepoints like Bab al-Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz. But this agenda collides with Abu Dhabi’s own ambitions, exercised through its proxies in the Southern Transitional Council (STC). As both Persian Gulf powers deepen their entrenchment, Hadhramaut is at the heart of a growing confrontation that may no longer remain limited to the political arena.
From tribal gathering to military force
HTA, founded in July 2013 in Wadi Nahb, Gil bin Yameen district, initially emerged as a tribal response to longstanding grievances over political marginalization and resource exploitation, as well as the implementation of decisions made during a comprehensive tribal conference.
Led by Sheikh Saad bin Habrish al-Ali, the alliance quickly gained traction as a local expression of discontent in Yemen’s largest governorate.
According to Sabri Salmeen bin Makhashen, an HTA leader and editor-in-chief at Al-Muharrar newspaper:
“The alliance is an independent Hadhramaut framework, which derives its legitimacy from the field and the will of the people of Hadhramaut. At the same time, there is ongoing coordination with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates within the framework of common interests, security, and stability, but all political, military, or organizational decisions are made from within Hadhrami.”
What began as a loosely organized collective quickly evolved into a formidable and disciplined force, especially after gaining the support of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh, seeking to counterbalance UAE dominance in southern Yemen, coordinated militarily and politically with the Hadhrami alliance, supplying it with logistical backing and aligning it with broader strategic interests.
However, the alliance’s emergence disrupted other southern political formations. The Southern Movement (Al-Hirak) and the UAE-backed the STC saw the Hadhrami assertion of local identity as a direct threat to their projects – especially the STC’s plan to create a unified southern state under Emirati tutelage.
🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Cradle
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