DZWatch Exclusive: A prominent Saudi academic has ignited controversy with claims that the United Arab Emirates is actively expanding Israeli influence in the region, allegedly at the expense of Arab security interests. Dr. Ahmed bin Othman Al-Tuwaijri, a former member of the Saudi Shura Council, asserts that the UAE’s policies are destabilizing regional balances and undermining Saudi Arabia’s strategic goals.
In a recent analysis, Dr. Al-Tuwaijri argues that the UAE-Israel alliance is not solely driven by immediate security concerns. Instead, he attributes it to a broader power struggle for regional dominance and, pointedly, political envy towards Saudi Arabia. His remarks come amid escalating tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, particularly evident in the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
Al-Tuwaijri highlights a recent incident involving the Saudi-led coalition’s alleged targeting of an arms shipment in the port of Mukalla, reportedly without prior coordination with the UAE. This action was purportedly a response to the movements of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a group backed by the Emirates. The subsequent cancellation of a joint defense agreement by Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi and the demand for Emirati forces to withdraw from Yemen within 24 hours further underscore the deep divisions within the coalition.
The roots of the Saudi-UAE divergence, according to Al-Tuwaijri, can be traced back to the collapse of the unified Gulf currency project in 2009. The rift widened with the outbreak of the Yemen war in 2015, where Saudi Arabia supported the internationally recognized government while the UAE fostered the STC, establishing its influence over strategic locations. This parallel track, he contends, raises concerns in Saudi Arabia about the potential fragmentation of Yemen and the consolidation of Israeli influence through Abu Dhabi.
Al-Tuwaijri suggests this pattern extends to other nations, including Sudan, Somalia, and Libya, as part of a broader Emirati strategy to weaken Arab states and undermine their central authority. He concludes that the UAE-Israel rapprochement is not merely about security or technological cooperation but rather a calculated move to establish the UAE as a hegemonic regional power through alliances that bypass traditional Arab frameworks.
