UAE denies secret prisons in Yemen, calls claims false amid growing Saudi-UAE tensions.

The governor of Hadramawt, Yemen, has accused the UAE of hiding weapons and secret prisons at Mukalla's airport. The UAE calls these claims untrue and politically motivated. By December 3, 2025, the UAE claims to have completely left Yemen, leaving no military presence. The allegations coincide with escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, including a Saudi airstrike on a purported UAE arms shipment that undermined the Southern Transitional Council, which is supported by the UAE. Both countries, which have historically sided with Iran, are now openly at odds over influence in Yemen as well as regional rivalry in investment and artificial intelligence.