Yemen–Saudi Crisis: From Historical Rivalry to Global Consequences

By Tuba Khan

The conflict between Yemen and Saudi Arabia is a situation that did not spring up suddenly. There are various historical factors that preceded this current conflict between these two countries including the political instability in Yemen, its civil wars, regional rivalry and foreign interferences.

Prolonged political divisions have characterized Yemen’s recent history. In 1962, a revolution brought about the end of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom in North Yemen to give way to the establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic. A civil war ensued between the republican forces and the royalists. The Saudis supported the royalists. Political cleavage in Yemen resulted in the political evolution and the British colony in South Yemen disappeared in 1967. North Yemen and South Yemen remained two separate states for many years until the unification of the two states in 1990. However, unification failed to resolve the political issues of the state as the civil war erupted in 1994.

A notable event was the rise of the Houthi movement from northern Yemen. Primarily composed of Shias of Yemen, the group gained more power and became increasingly threatening to the presidency of Ali Abdullah Saleh.The period between 2004 and 2010 witnessed several conflicts between the Houthis and the military forces of Yemen. Mass protests resulted in the stepping down of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. However, the transition process did not bring about a solution to the problems experienced in Yemen.

Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014 and quickly expanded their control. In March 2015, Saudi Arabia organized a coalition and interfered in the conflict to support the government of Yemen. For Saudi Arabia, the rise of influence of Houthis was directly associated with its security problem, especially given the fact that Yemen borders Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s intervention turned Yemen’s domestic war into an international one. Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia using missiles and drones, while the army of the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. UN-brokered ceasefire agreement in April 2022. However, this ceasefire agreement was not able to help resolve political disagreements between the parties. The country stayed divided and attempts to reach a settlement continued to be unsuccessful.

The long years of war have left a huge impact on the humanitarians. According to the statistics provided by the United Nations, there will be about 21 million people in need of humanitarian aid in Yemen in 2026 and 18.3 million of them will experience food shortage.

The present escalation has turned the Yemen-Saudi problem into an issue much wider than just being Middle Eastern. Recently the Houthis gained more ground along the Red Sea coast of Yemen and seized some strategically important points, located near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In case of any restrictions for ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, ships will need to choose longer ways. It will lead to higher expenses, fuel consumption and eventually higher prices of imported products.

The current situation became more dangerous for whole world especially Saudi Arabia. The instability around the Strait of Hormuz, expansion of Houthi control over Bab el-Mandeb and the disruption of oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia created a situation that has caused anxiety in energy markets. This may prove especially tough for developing nations. Higher costs of shipping and energy could lead to higher costs of oil, food and other imported products, putting more inflationary pressure on struggling economies.

Security is another serious aspect of the issue. The Houthi presence near Bab el-Mandeb makes it more possible for attacks against commercial ships and poses a danger for the crew members. Most importantly, if the situation escalates, then there will be more chances of getting involved from regional or even international powers, increasing the risks of a bigger crisis. Yemen Saudi conflict is also related to the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the region as Iran being a Shia country has always backed Houthis against KSA. Yet, viewing the conflict as just a confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran would ignore the splits within Yemen itself. Environmental concerns should not be ignored either. An accident might spoil the marine ecosystem, fisheries and even the coast of the Yemen, which would harm ports crucial for delivering humanitarian aid to the country, especially considering the present humanitarian crisis in that country.

The implications of Houthis’ approach to the straits of Bab el-Mandeb together with problems with Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure currently go beyond the Arabian Peninsula and the conflict has become an international concern.