For Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Pakistan is a pivotal South Asian state with strategic geography, a sizeable market, and longstanding military-to-military and intelligence linkages. Amid rapidly evolving Middle East dynamics from shifting security calculations to economic diversification drives Islamabad is widely believed to be engaging discreetly to ease frictions between the two Gulf powers, even as each pursues distinct regional and economic agendas
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Ansar Mahmood Bhatti
In a significant escalation highlighting the deepening rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Saudi-led coalition executed a precise airstrike on Yemen’s Port of Mukalla on Tuesday, targeting weapons and military vehicles reportedly shipped from the UAE to bolster separatist forces.
Saudi officials described the operation as “limited,” with no civilian casualties or collateral damage reported. The strike focused on shipments arriving from the UAE’s Fujairah port, which Riyadh claims were unloaded without authorization to support the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC). The STC has recently consolidated control over key eastern provinces, including Hadramout and al-Mahra, prompting stern warnings from the coalition.
This marks a pivotal shift: Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, once unified in their intervention against the Houthis, are now openly clashing over Yemen’s future. Saudi Arabia prioritizes a unified Yemen under the internationally recognized government, while the UAE supports southern separatism through the STC. The airstrike underscores Riyadh’s abandonment of restraint, signaling a willingness to confront perceived threats to its interests directly and forcefully.
The implications extend far beyond Yemen. This power struggle is regional, with Sudan potentially the next battleground. Saudi Arabia backs the Sudanese Armed Forces, while the UAE is said to have been supporting the rival Rapid Support Forces—mirroring the proxy dynamics now turning direct in Yemen.
As fractures widen in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is actively reinforcing alliances elsewhere. Recent diplomatic engagements, including meetings in Islamabad between Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Saeed Al-Malki and Sudanese counterpart, point to an emerging broader Saudi-Sudan partnership in the coming days.
For Pakistan, a close friend to both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, the situation poses significant challenges that reach far beyond traditional diplomacy. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are indispensable partners for Islamabad, underpinning Pakistan’s economic stability through deposits, balance-of-payments support, energy supplies on deferred payment, large-scale investments, and remittances from millions of Pakistani expatriates working across the Gulf.
Any perception of divergence between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi therefore forces Pakistan into a delicate balancing act: maintaining strategic equidistance while ensuring neither partner feels sidelined. The UAE President’s brief visit to Pakistan on December 26 underscored continuity amid uncertainty. High-level engagements focused on trade, investment, and sectoral cooperation in energy, infrastructure, IT, and logistics—signaling that both sides intend to translate political goodwill into tangible projects.
The optics of the visit mattered, too: at a moment when speculation occasionally surfaces about underlying strains in Gulf alignments, the trip projected steadiness and intent to deepen ties. Regardless of the circumstances, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remain vitally important to Pakistan—and Pakistan to them. Islamabad provides a large, skilled workforce, defense cooperation, and a dependable partner in regional security dialogues.
For Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Pakistan is a pivotal South Asian state with strategic geography, a sizeable market, and longstanding military-to-military and intelligence linkages. Amid rapidly evolving Middle East dynamics from shifting security calculations to economic diversification drives Islamabad is widely believed to be engaging discreetly to ease frictions between the two Gulf powers, even as each pursues distinct regional and economic agendas.
Such behind-the-scenes efforts align with Pakistan’s traditional role as a bridge-builder in the Muslim world, seeking de-escalation and pragmatic coordination rather than zero-sum competition among allies. This is a true test for nations allied with both sides, as the once-solid Gulf front shows signs of internal differentiation. The ripple effects are unpredictable: maritime security in the Red Sea, investment pipelines and energy flows, labor market policies affecting expatriates, and broader diplomatic alignments could all feel the impact.
For Pakistan, the path forward will require disciplined message management, calibrated economic diplomacy, and an unwavering focus on mutually beneficial projects. Success will be measured less by headline breakthroughs than by preserving strategic trust, insulating economic cooperation from political headwinds, and keeping channels open so that competition does not harden into confrontation.
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