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A social media exchange between Saudi and Emirati commentators has drawn attention amid renewed tensions over Yemen, after the Saudi-led coalition said the head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidarous al-Zubaidi, fled to the United Arab Emirates and as Saudi state media aired reports accusing the UAE of backing separatism.
Emirati academic Abdulkhaleq Abdulla drew wide attention after criticizing what he described as excessive hostility amid the dispute between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
In a post on the X platform, he questioned the reason for the escalation if the disagreement was merely “tactical,” as he put it.
Saudi political commentator Salman al-Ansari responded to the post in a sharp tone, saying what happened “is only part” of what is to come, and directing pointed criticism at the UAE.
According to the report, exchanges between Saudi and Emirati writers and media figures on social media intensified after the Yemen-related dispute and after Saudi statements that officially accused the UAE of involvement in wars in Sudan, Libya, and Yemen.
Zubaidi fled to the UAE, the Saudi-led coalition said on Thursday, after an attempt to seize swathes of territory and move toward independence.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of pushing STC forces to carry out military operations along the kingdom's southern border in Hadramaut and Mahra. Abu Dhabi denied the accusation.
In recent days, Saudi state media—represented by the Al Ekhbariya channel—began airing reports accusing the UAE of supporting secession in Yemen and financing separatist militias with money and weapons.
Meanwhile, Saudi journalists and commentators have spoken directly about the UAE’s role in regional conflicts and its support for separatist entities.
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