Emirati-Israeli Cooperation: Establishing Joint Intelligence Bases from Yemen to Africa
The pace of covert influence is accelerating, driven by an Emirati-Israeli alliance aimed at establishing joint intelligence bases in strategic locations such as Yemen and the Horn of Africa, as part of Abu Dhabi’s controversial normalization efforts.
The Hebrew newspaper “Maariv: has reported on the UAE’s collaboration with Israel to create a joint military and intelligence facility on the Yemeni island of Socotra.
The newspaper also noted that an Emirati-Israeli military base is under construction on Abdul Kuri Island, with this archipelago, along with other Yemeni islands and ports, serving as a crucial strategic hub.
The project also aims to integrate the military and security services of Israel with those of involved Arab nations, under the umbrella of U.S. Central Command, as part of a long-term initiative established through normalization agreements between Israel and several Gulf Arab countries engaged in these projects.
Previously, the Lebanese newspaper *Al-Akhbar* reported that since the onset of the Yemen war in 2015, the UAE has been working to gain control over the strategic Yemeni archipelago of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. This effort is part of an emerging alliance between Israel and several Arab and Gulf countries, with U.S. support.
The archipelago, which consists of four small islands in the northwest Indian Ocean, has drawn significant interest from the UAE since the war began. The UAE has been involved in the conflict as part of the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which launched military operations against the Houthis in late March 2015
The archipelago, along with other Yemeni islands and ports, serves as a strategic focal point, highlighting the growing urgency for coalition formation among its members. This sense of urgency has intensified following the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation on October 7, accelerating the pace of establishing the coalition’s infrastructure. This includes the construction of a prominent Emirati military base, with Israeli facilities also being developed on Abdul Kuri Island, the second-largest island in the archipelago after Socotra.
The ultimate objective appears to be to integrate the military and security forces of Israel with those of the involved Arab countries under the auspices of U.S. Central Command. This goal is pursued even as efforts are made to keep the Israeli role from being prominently featured in the project, according to the newspaper.
Meanwhile, the UAE is considering granting the Israeli occupation a military presence in the Horn of Africa, represented by the opportunity to reach a naval base on the coast in unrecognized Somaliland.
Meanwhile, the UAE is considering granting the Israeli occupation a military presence in the Horn of Africa, represented by the opportunity to reach a naval base on the coast in unrecognized Somaliland.
The Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya reported that this base “will enable military operations against the Ansar Allah movement, which strongly supports the Gaza Strip.” While Israel has long been interested in re-establishing relations with the former British protectorate, competition in the region has intensified recently.
Earlier, Emirates Leaks reported that the UAE is in negotiations with the Somaliland authorities to grant Israeli access to military bases. According to sources from the portal, the UAE has assured Somaliland’s leadership that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is prepared to recognize Somaliland’s official status, which would pave the way for establishing bilateral relations.
Private sources have indicated that the concurrent activation of bases in Somaliland is part of a wider strategy to boost regional influence. Additionally, the Israeli military is seeking new methods to exert pressure on the Houthis.
It is most likely related to the port of Berbera in the Gulf of Aden, knowing that the main infrastructure of the facility was created by Soviet specialists in the 1970s.
The UAE began forming its stronghold in this place in 2017, but two years later, the Somaliland administration announced the freezing of the contract.
However, in May of this year, the private intelligence company Gray Dynamics recorded that the UAE had returned to work on expanding the deep-sea port and improving the military airport.
Gray Dynamics admitted that the UAE could deploy its aircraft in Berbera as early as this year.
The newspaper reported that Yigal Palmor, former spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mentioned in 2010 that Israel sought to re-establish relations with Somaliland. Palmor highlighted in an interview with Haaretz that Israel was the first nation to officially recognize Somaliland.
For its part, unrecognized Somaliland was also sending positive signals, as it was one of the first countries to recognize the Abraham Accords, a series of deals on normalizing relations between Arabs and Israel.
