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Saudi Arabia, Yemen
Falah al-Shahrani, Riyadh's man in Yemen

Reading time 3 minutes

A Saudi-backed Yemeni army military checkpoint in the eastern province of Hadramout, on 5 February 2026, following the withdrawal of UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council forces.
A Saudi-backed Yemeni army military checkpoint in the eastern province of Hadramout, on 5 February 2026, following the withdrawal of UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council forces. © Mohammad Bashir Aldaher/Imago/MaxPPP

Saudi Arabia is tightening its grip on the country's military and security apparatus. A discreet military adviser is pulling the strings to consolidate Riyadh's control over the region in the face of the UAE's waning influence and the Houthi rebels.

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