United Arab Emirates committed to peace in Yemen
Yemen remains the cornerstone of Middle East relations. It is a temperature gauge for measuring the balance between the countries that are part of the Arab League, led by Saudi Arabia, and those that are closer to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The war in Yemen positions the interests of each country and frames the aspirations of the two opposing sides: the Houthi rebels backed by the regime of Ali Khamenei and the internationally recognised government.
Oman and Saudi Arabia have already shown their willingness to lead peace in the country after the visit of two delegations to Sana'a, the "most hopeful since 2014" as the United Nations described it. The United Arab Emirates is doing the same in support of the aspirations of the Yemeni people.
The latest sign of bilateral cooperation between the two nations was the visit of the chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al Alimi, to Abu Dhabi, where he met with Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed. The two sides discussed bilateral relations, recent developments in Yemen and a number of issues of common interest.
As a sign of closeness, bin Zayed congratulated his Yemeni counterpart on Yemen's National Day, which was celebrated on 22 May. "Peace, stability and development" were the Emirati President's wishes for the people of Yemen. For his part, Rashad Al Alimi expressed his gratitude for the support provided by the United Arab Emirates during almost a decade of political conflict in the country.
Close cooperation was also reflected in a meeting earlier this month between Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak and the UAE ambassador to Yemen, who coordinated "bilateral relations, ways to develop them and positions on issues of common interest".
In any case, Abu Dhabi's support for the legitimacy of the Presidential Leadership Council has materialised in the implementation of several agreements. The most important to date has been on military cooperation and the fight against terrorism in the region.
Sana'a with all and against all
"The Arab League is incapable of fulfilling its duties". The head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi Al-Mashat, was categorical in his words in response to the results of the Jeddah Declaration drawn up after the Arab Summit of 19 May. According to the Houthi leader, the Arab League did not call in any of its points for an "end to hostilities against Yemen and its acute crisis".
Mahdi Al-Mashat reproached the Arab states for this in his speech on the National Day commemorating the 33rd anniversary of Yemen's reunification. "From the final text, not a single paragraph was allocated to condemn the aggression against the nation or to lift the siege imposed by the coalition nine years ago," Al-Mashat pointed out, while threatening those involved to correct their positions "before it is too late".
However, the Jeddah Declaration did make mention of the situation in Yemen. The document stressed the need to ensure its security and stability, calling for regional and UN efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution. One of the most important Arab League resolutions, following the return of Bashar Al-Assad's Syria and the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenski, was expressly mentioned.
Fading hopes for peace
Since Saudi Arabia's attempt to mediate in the conflict, the Houthi rebels have not commented on the conditions set out by the delegation that visited Sana'a. Since then, they have remained silent and reproached the Houthi rebels for their lack of support. Silence since then and now reproaches to the Arab League have dashed the hopes that were projected for an end to the war.
Riyadh's step forward was intended to replicate the thaw in the region that it had witnessed with the resumption of diplomatic relations with Iran, the great regional enemy, after more than seven years. But Tehran's engagement with the Houthis has not been as close as that of the Aden government with its international partners. The cornerstone of Yemen has not yet borne the expected fruit.