The UAE's New Arrangements in Yemen.. The Return of the Former President's Son and Deployment of Ahbab Allah Force
Abu Dhabi began rearranging its cards in Yemen in line with the new developments in the Yemeni and the region, a source in Yemen's West Coast, where forces allied to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are stationed, said.
The source confirmed to Sheba Intelligence that the political, media, and military files had been the major issues affected by the Emirati rearrangement of priorities.
According to the source, the Saudi-Houthi negotiations, the failure of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to convince the international community to support secession in Yemen, the Emirati-Saudi friction in Hadhramaut, and developments in the region are the driving reasons for the UAE to reconsider its policy and its alliances in Yemen.
At the political level, the source said that the UAE will push the son of the late President Ali Saleh, Ahmed, to return to political work in the post-war period. One of his tasks will be to restore the General People's Congress and open lines of cooperation and communication with all parties to the conflict in Yemen. Ahmed Ali has lived in the UAE for almost a decade and was the former Yemeni ambassador to Abu Dhabi.
At the media level, there has been a change in priorities. Al-Ghad Al-Mushreq TV Channel, which was established after the breakout of the Decisive Storm in Yemen, will be closed. The source indicated that the budget will go to Al-Jumhuriya TV Channel, which is affiliated with the National Resistance, led by the UAE's military ally, Tariq Saleh.
The source added that the UAE used Al-Ghad Al-Mushreq TV channel against its opponents in the past years, particularly the Houthis and the Islah Party. Lately, the channel aroused the ire of Saudi Arabia as relations between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh strained. According to the source, the continued operation of the Al-Ghad TV channel does not serve the UAE's vision in the coming phase.
At the military level, the source indicated that the UAE has completed the establishment of a new military force of an ideological nature, and the force is mainly composed of Alawite Sufi families under the name (Ahbab Allah). The mission of this force is to deploy in Hadhramaut. The source indicated that this force received training in different military bases in Tatarstan, Eritrea, Yemen's Mayun Island, and Shabwa, and will be a key to reaching an understanding with the Ansar Allah movement that governs most of North Yemen.
According to the source, the UAE will focus on supporting the return of the Saleh family to the forefront in the coming phase, reduce dependence on the STC besides dismantling some of its military units that obstruct any understanding with the UAE's allies on Yemen's West Coast, and open channels of communication with Marib Governorate and the Islah Party.
