From Yemen to Africa: UAE-Israeli Alliance Building Joint Intelligence Bases

The UAE and Israel are increasingly collaborating to establish joint intelligence bases in strategic locations, including Yemen and the Horn of Africa, as part of the UAE’s controversial normalization efforts.

The Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed that the UAE and Israel are working together to build a joint military and intelligence base on the Yemeni island of Socotra. The paper reported that the UAE is intensifying its efforts with Israel to construct this base.

In addition to Socotra, the report indicated that another joint military base is being built on Abd al-Kuri Island, part of the Socotra Archipelago. These islands, along with other Yemeni ports, are considered central points of interest for both countries.

The project aims to connect the armies and security agencies of Israel and certain Arab states under the umbrella of U.S. Central Command. This long-term initiative is part of a broader framework introduced within the context of the normalization agreements between Israel and other Gulf states involved in these projects.

Previously, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that the UAE has been striving to gain control over the strategically located Socotra Archipelago in the Indian Ocean since the start of the Yemeni war in 2015. This move aligns with a coalition forming between Israel and several Arab and Gulf states under U.S. oversight.

The archipelago, consisting of four small islands belonging to Yemen, has garnered significant interest from the UAE since the beginning of the Yemen conflict. The UAE participated in this conflict as part of the Arab Coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which launched military interventions against the Houthis in late March 2015.

The Socotra Archipelago, along with other Yemeni islands and ports, has become a crucial focal point for the coalition, especially after the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation on October 7th. This operation accelerated the coalition’s efforts, with the construction of the UAE-Israel joint military base on Abd al-Kuri Island, the second-largest island in the archipelago, now a priority.

The ultimate goal appears to be the integration of Israeli military and security forces with those of the involved Arab states under the U.S. Central Command’s umbrella, although efforts are being made to keep Israel’s involvement in the project out of the spotlight.

Meanwhile, the UAE is considering granting Israel a military presence in the Horn of Africa, specifically by allowing access to a naval base on the coast of Somaliland, a self-declared state not recognized internationally.

The Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya reported that this base would enable military operations against the Ansar Allah movement, which strongly supports Gaza. Israel has shown interest in restoring relations with the former British protectorate for some time, but competition in the region has recently intensified.

Previously, Emirates Leaks reported that the UAE is negotiating with Somaliland authorities to allow Israeli access to military bases. According to sources, the UAE has assured Somaliland’s leadership that the Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is ready to recognize its official status, paving the way for bilateral relations.

Special sources indicated that the initiative to activate bases in Somaliland is part of a broader strategy to enhance influence in the region. Additionally, the Israeli military seeks new means to exert pressure on the Houthis.

It is likely that this effort involves the port of Berbera in the Gulf of Aden, where the primary infrastructure was built by Soviet specialists in the 1970s.

The UAE began establishing its foothold in Berbera in 2017, but the Somaliland administration froze the contract two years later. However, in May of this year, the private intelligence company Grey Dynamics reported that the UAE resumed work on expanding the deep-sea port and improving the military airfield.

Grey Dynamics acknowledged that the UAE could station its aircraft in Berbera as early as this year.

The newspaper also mentioned that Yigal Palmor, the former spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in 2010 that Israel is interested in reestablishing relations with Somaliland. Palmor reminded Haaretz that Israel was the first country to recognize Somaliland.

Somaliland, in turn, has sent positive signals, being one of the first to recognize the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements normalizing relations between Arab states and Israel.