LONDON: Statements made by Salam Al-Khanbashi, the governor of Hadhramaut, suggest the United Arab Emirates has played an alarming role in Yemen and the largest of its 21 governorates. 

In a televised press conference yesterday, Al-Khanbashi accused the UAE of having exploited the coalition working to restore legitimate government in Yemen “to achieve its own agenda.” 

He also claimed that the citizens of Hadhramaut had been terrorised by armed groups affiliated with Maj. Gen. Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, who is backed by the UAE and earlier this month was sacked as vice-president of the country’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). 

Hadhramaut’s territory extends from the shore of the Gulf of Aden in the south to the Saudi Arabian border in the north. 

Al-Zubaidi, who is now on the run, stands accused of treason and attempting to undermine the sovereignty of Yemen by creating a breakaway “State of South Arabia.” 

The Yemeni authorities, Al-Khanbashi added, had uncovered suspicious Emirati equipment and practices at the Rayyan base in Mukalla, capital of the governorate, including stockpiled explosives and a secret prison. 

These are shocking claims, reinforced by a verified source close to the Yemeni government who spoke to Arab News on the condition of anonymity. 

Yesterday’s revelations, he said, confirmed what had been an open secret in Yemen for some time. 

“Many of the segments of the province's population, as well as others in Yemen, have suffered from these crimes which were conducted in the name of a southern state, but in reality served the interests of another country,” he said. 

The source holds Al-Zubaidi, the former head of the now dissolved Southern Transitional Council (STC), personally responsible for the atrocities, crimes and torture suffered by Yemeni citizens. 

Al-Zubaidi is reported to have sought sanctuary in Abu Dhabi. 

“Given all the support he received from the UAE,” the source added, “it is no wonder they were keen to smuggle him to Abu Dhabi via Somalia to avoid prosecution.”

Apart from his role in the STC, Al-Zubaidi was a leading figure in the legitimate Yemeni government, which has now disowned him, and referred him to the state’s attorney-general. 

In his absence, Al-Zubaidi has been indicted on charges including “high treason with the intent to undermine the independence of the Republic,” “Damaging the military, political, and economic standing of the Republic,” “Forming an armed gang and committing crimes including the killing of officers and soldiers of the armed forces; exploiting and harming the just Southern cause through grave violations against civilians and sabotage of military installations and sites,” and “Violating the Constitution, breaching the law, and undermining the sovereignty and independence of the country.” 

According to the Yemeni source, the discovery of suspicious Emirati equipment at Rayyan airbase, including explosives, suggests the camp “was used most likely as a headquarters for planning and implementing crimes and violations targeting civilians.” 

The discovered equipment, he added, “confirms that the armed groups loyal to Al-Zubaidi were using the just southern cause to cover up their crimes against southern civilians, marginalizing and ignoring the legitimate demands of the people of the south, and serving the UAE's agenda aimed at spreading chaos in Yemen and hindering any political initiative to resolve the southern issue.” 

The source added that, in his view, such practices by the STC and the UAE would be a clear case of “human-rights abuse.” 

The “violations and crimes” of which the UAE is accused in Yemen “are an extension of its ongoing activity in fuelling internal conflicts in Sudan, Libya and Somalia, and committing crimes targeting civilians in these countries, aiming to spread chaos and undermine the security and stability of the region.” 

In a statement posted on X, The Ministry of Defence of the United Arab Emirates has categorically denied the claims made during the press conference held by the Governor of Hadhramout, Salam Al-Khanbashi.

‎The ministry further claimed that UAE forces officially and publicly completed their full withdrawal from Yemen on 2nd of January 2026. “This withdrawal included the transfer of all equipment, weapons and assets,” added the statement.

‎With regard to the accusations concerning the existence of  “secret prisons” at Riyan Airport, the UAE ministry claimed that the facilities referred to are “merely military accommodation, operations rooms and fortified shelters, some of which are located underground”.