Global Geopolitical Series: Saudi Arabia may have lost own territories to Houthi rebels

There is a report circulating in the Middle East media houses that the Houthi rebels, which Saudi Arabia backed alliances are fighting in Yemen have taken control of vast territories with the state of Saudi Arabia. The report was also published in the U.S. based newspaper ‘The Hill’, which suggests that while Saudi led alliance made progress along the Northern border of Yemen, near the Red Sea coast, the Kingdom might have lost territories to Houthi rebels on other sides. The territories could be as deep as 100 miles inside the border. Houthi rebels are allegedly backed by Saudi Arabia’s arch-rival Iran. Yemen has been witnessing a violent war between the government forces loyal to President Abdrabu Mansour Hadi backed by the forces of the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels for the past three years.

Even if this report turns out to be a false one, Saudi Arabia is facing a tough situation in Yemen as cracks have emerged within its own alliance. "Saudi Arabia and its main partner the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have different views on the usefulness of continuing to support the government of President Hadi. Last weekend, southern Yemeni activists in Aden formed a transitional southern council with the implicit blessings of the UAE and vowed to overthrow the Hadi government, which is not acceptable to the Saudis.