UAE Takes Another Step to Solidify Its Illegal Occupation of Socotra Island
A new step by the UAE has been revealed to further solidify its illegal occupation of the strategically located Socotra Island in Yemen, as part of Abu Dhabi’s plots to gain influence and expand.
Satellite images analyzed by the US-based Associated Press (AP) show that a mysterious aircraft landing strip under construction on Socotra Island is nearing completion, funded by the UAE.
According to the report published by the AP, the airstrip on Abd al-Kuri Island, rising above the Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden, could provide a key landing area for military operations patrolling this vital waterway.
The report added that this could be significant as commercial shipping through the Gulf and the Red Sea – a key route for goods and energy shipments heading to Europe – has halved under attacks from the Houthis, and the region has seen arms smuggling from Iran to the Houthis.
The agency noted that it is likely that Abu Dhabi, which has long been suspected of expanding its military presence in the region and supported the Saudi-led war against the Houthis, is behind the construction of the runway.
The AP report stated that while the Houthis have linked their campaign to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, experts fear that a ceasefire in this conflict may not be enough to stop their campaign, which has garnered international attention.
Satellite images taken by Planet Labs PBC on January 7, commissioned by the Associated Press, show trucks and other heavy equipment on the north-south runway embedded in the Abd al-Kuri base, which is approximately 35 kilometers (21 miles) long and about 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide at its widest point.
These images, captured by Planet Labs PBC on January 7, 2025, show an aircraft landing strip on Abd al-Kuri Island in Yemen. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
The runway has been paved, with the designation markers “18” and “36” placed to the north and south of the runway, respectively. As of January 7, there remained a missing section of the 2.4-kilometer (1.5-mile) long and 45-meter (150-foot) wide runway. Trucks can be seen leveling and laying asphalt over the missing 290-meter (950-foot) section.
Once completed, the runway’s length will allow private aircraft and other planes to land there, though it is unlikely that larger commercial aircraft or heavy bombers will be able to land due to its size.
Mohammed Al-Basha, a Yemeni affairs expert from Basha Report Consulting, noted that the distance between Abd al-Kuri base and mainland Yemen means that “there is no threat from the Houthis to board a small truck or vehicle and seize control.”
Although the base is within range of Houthi drones and missiles, the distance from the mainland means “no threat from the Houthis to board a small truck or vehicle and seize control.”
Local officials have attributed the project to the UAE. The airport is also situated on a similar north-to-south path as Abd al-Kuri’s landing strip, and it is nearly the same length.
Other satellite images from Planet Labs show another unowned runway under construction south of Al-Mokha, near Dhubab, a coastal town in Yemen’s Taiz Governorate. A photo taken by Planet for the Associated Press on Thursday shows the runway fully built, though no markings have been drawn on it.
Abd al-Kuri Island is part of the Socotra Archipelago, located just 95 kilometers (60 miles) from Africa and about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Yemen. During the final years of the Cold War, the archipelago sometimes hosted Soviet warships due to its strategic location.
In recent years, the island has been overseen by the Southern Transitional Council, which calls for the separation of southern Yemen from the north. Abu Dhabi has supported and armed the council as part of the Saudi-led war against the Houthis, who seized the Yemeni capital Sana’a in 2014.
