GNV News October 8, 2025

As a result of an analysis of satellite images by Middle East Eye, the construction timelines and facility details of the military bases, airstrips, and other installations that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has built around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have been revealed. Since the mid-2010s, the UAE has built and maintained multiple military bases abroad, particularly in countries around the Red Sea such as Yemen and Somalia. Although the UAE has not officially disclosed the existence of these bases, their presence has been confirmed through analysis of such satellite imagery. The aim is said to be to strengthen its economic and military influence by entering regions politically divided by conflict, developing ports and bases to control vital trade routes, and intervening in regional conflicts. For example, in the Sudan conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the RSF has been aided with weapons.

The country where the UAE has deployed such bases most extensively is Yemen. In the Yemen conflict that began in 2014, the UAE has been involved as part of the Saudi-led coalition. Amid the intensifying war, the UAE came to possess bases and ports along Yemen’s coasts and islands. After expanding its influence eastward from Aden in southern Yemen, near the mouth of the Red Sea, since the 2020s it has focused on developing the Socotra archipelago in the Gulf of Aden, south of the Arabian Peninsula. This has included the acquisition of Socotra Island’s airport by a UAE company and the construction of airstrips and military bases on Abd al Kuri and Samhah islands.

Moreover, development of these bases in the Socotra archipelago has been carried out in close cooperation with Israel. Israeli radar systems have been installed on these islands, enabling the monitoring of vessels transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In particular, one objective appears to be countering Iran and Ansar Allah (the Houthis), who control Yemen’s capital—adversaries shared by both countries. Beyond Yemen, the UAE has also announced investments in building a railway linking Somaliland’s port with Ethiopia, and is expected to further strengthen its influence in the region.

Learn more about the UAE → “UAE: A small regional power“

Learn more about the situation around the Red Sea → “Suakin Island: A small island shaking Middle Eastern and African affairs“

The airport on Socotra Island acquired by a UAE company (Photo: Gerry & Bonni / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])