Saudi Arabia Implements Jeddah Checks for Flights from Aden to UAE

Yemen's transport ministry announced that Saudi Arabia has instituted new inspection protocols for international flights operating from Aden International Airport, raising fresh alarms regarding travel constraints in southern Yemen.

In a statement released on Thursday, officials disclosed that all flights departing from or landing in Aden must now make a stop in Jeddah for inspection purposes prior to completing their journeys. This unexpected directive has disrupted established aviation practices.

The ministry is aligned with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group supported by the UAE. Following the enforcement of these new regulations, local aviation authorities sought clarification from Saudi officials, learning that the inspections specifically target flights between Aden and the UAE.

There hasn't been any official justification for this decision yet. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE has publicly commented on the matter or provided reasons for the newly imposed inspections.

The transport ministry harshly criticized these measures, labeling them an “air blockade” that exacerbates difficulties for Yemeni travelers. It has called for an immediate reversal of the current protocol and a return to prior procedures that enabled direct flights without mandatory stops.

This change comes at a particularly delicate moment, as tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been surfacing recently. Although both nations are vital partners within the coalition engaged in Yemen, their economic priorities and regional influence have increasingly diverged, especially in southern Yemen and the Red Sea area.

Tensions heightened further last month when STC forces advanced into Yemen's eastern governorates of Hadramout and Mahra, seizing control of oil-rich territories and displacing Saudi-backed National Shield Forces, thereby deepening the rifts among coalition factions.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war for over a decade, with Houthi forces in control of most northern parts while the internationally recognized government operates from the south with Saudi backing. Concurrently, the UAE supports southern separatists aiming for the re-establishment of an independent South Yemen, which existed between 1967 and 1990.

In light of the heightened tensions, the United States has encouraged all parties to engage in dialogue and avert further escalation. To facilitate de-escalation, Saudi Arabia has reportedly requested the withdrawal of STC forces from contested spaces and the transfer of military camps to local governance.

Reports from local leaders in Hadramout reveal that UAE-backed forces have started to withdraw from the al-Rayyan military base near Mukalla, including nearby airport regions. However, experts caution that the situation remains volatile and could change swiftly.

Analysts assert that the newly mandated aviation inspections reflect deeper political and security disagreements within the coalition, raising new concerns about stability, mobility, and governance in southern Yemen.