Saudi Arabia Charts New Course in Yemen: A $3 Billion Bet on Stability

Saudi Arabia is investing $3 billion to stabilize Yemen after pushing out the UAE. Aiming to unify various factions and pressure the Houthis, Riyadh hopes this financial and political strategy will bring stability. The efforts include integrating southern forces into a Saudi-led structure to prevent state fracture.

Riyadh is taking decisive steps to bring stability to Yemen by injecting $3 billion into the troubled region. Following the United Arab Emirates' withdrawal, Saudi Arabia eyes a chance to take control of the situation by uniting various Yemeni factions against the Houthi rebels.

Despite facing a budget crunch at home, the Kingdom is deploying these funds to cover salaries for Yemeni forces and civil servants, aiming to reinforce areas controlled by the internationally recognized Yemeni government. Saudi Arabia's efforts also include dangling political incentives to Yemeni secessionists, hinting their separatist ambitions could be realized once the conflict with the Houthis is resolved.

However, the situation remains complex. Saudi Arabia's attempt to reorganize anti-Houthi factions faces internal resistance, and some experts believe it could take years to unravel Yemen's entrenched war economy. Furthermore, the Kingdom is willing to absorb significant costs as part of a larger strategy to reduce security risks that could derail its ambitious domestic goals, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030.

(With inputs from agencies.)