By Admin 
Saudi-UAE Tension: At the beginning of the new year, the long-running war in Yemen has once again taken a sharp turn. In fact, the Saudi-led coalition carried out air strikes on UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council positions. Meanwhile, let us know when Saudi Arabia and UAE have fought each other before and also who among them is more powerful.
History of serious controversies
Although Saudi Arabia and UAE have never fought a large-scale direct war against each other, their relations are not free from conflict. One of the earliest conflicts was the Buraimi dispute, which lasted between 1952 and 1955. It was a regional conflict over the Al Buraimi Oasis involving Saudi Arabia and the Trucial States, then a British protectorate. Later, the Jeddah Treaty of 1974 formally demarcated the borders between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
yemen crisis
In this conflict, one of the most serious conflicts, both the countries initially fought the Houthi rebels together. Over time their strategic goals diverged. Saudi Arabia supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government, while the UAE supported the Southern Transitional Council, which seeks independence for southern Yemen.
This tension increased considerably between December 2025 and January 2026 when Saudi Arabia allegedly attacked an arms consignment belonging to the UAE at the Mukalla port in Yemen. After this there was a direct clash between Saudi-backed and UAE-backed forces.
power of saudi arabia
If seen from the perspective of traditional power, Saudi Arabia’s influence is quite high. It has more than 2.5 lakh active military personnel. Along with this, it spends approximately 75 billion dollars annually on defence. This empire has advanced fighter jets like F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon, heavy armored vehicles and missile systems. Along with this, the huge oil reserves and geographical size of this country make it quite big in economic and strategic terms.
UAE’s strength
The UAE army is much smaller. UAE has about 65000 soldiers. But the special thing is that it is considered one of the most professional and technologically advanced armies in this region. Often known as Little Sparta, the UAE has shown operational influence in Yemen, Libya and other foreign interventions.
Economically, UAE exerts more influence than its potential. Its sovereign wealth fund, whose total value is about one and a half trillion dollars, is one of the most diversified funds in the world.
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