Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Yemeni tribes has undergone many changes over recent decades, focused mainly on cultivating direct ties with Yemeni tribal sheikhs. With a shared 1,800 km-long border, the Kingdom has closely monitored developments inside Yemen, placing significant importance on its relationship with tribal leaders as a means of “influenc[ing] internal political decision-making in Yemen in line with its interests.”[1] Such ties, however, are neither fixed nor homogeneous and have evolved based on the mutual interests of both parties.

Saudi Arabia’s involvement in successive Yemen conflicts, particularly since 2004, has increased the complexity of these dynamics. The relationship is also an unequal one; Saudi Arabia is an affluent country – the world’s top oil exporter and a member of the G20. By contrast, Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East and has a history of political and military conflicts, which, coupled with scarce resources, have made it economically vulnerable. This has long given Saudi Arabia sway over Yemen’s tribes, sometimes at the expense of the central government.

Under King Abdullah, Riyadh’s strategy in Yemen focused on building stronger formal relations with the Yemeni government, aimed primarily at combating terrorism. This policy change gradually undermined direct dealings with tribal sheikhs. With King Salman’s rise to power, however, and after the Saudi-led intervention against the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) began in March 2015, engagement between Saudi Arabia and Yemeni tribal sheikhs has resurfaced — albeit with a difference. The conflict has led Riyadh to shift its longstanding focus on cultivating ties with sheikhs from northern tribal regions toward the eastern regions of Marib, Al-Jawf, Shabwa, Al-Mahra, and Hadramawt. In light of the above, and considering the ongoing competition between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over influence in Hadramawt — Yemen’s largest governorate — this analysis seeks to examine the reasons behind Saudi Arabia’s efforts to engage with eastern tribes in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia’s Eastward Turn: Shifting Relations with Yemeni Tribes - The Yemen Review, Quarterly: January-March 2024 - Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies
https://sanaacenter.org/the-yemen-review/jan-mar-2024/22287