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Houthi drone attacks expose UAE vulnerabilities, say analysts
Houthi attack jeopardises the UAE’s reputation as a haven for tourism and trade and pushes it towards caution with Iran.
International
A deadly drone attack by Yemen’s Houthis on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has exposed the country’s vulnerability while jeopardising its reputation as a tourism and business hub and pushing it towards rapprochement with neighbouring Tehran, say analysts.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group targeted a key oil facility in Abu Dhabi, killing three people. The suspected drone attack also caused a fire at Abu Dhabi’s international airport, attracting condemnation and a pledge for retaliation from the UAE.
Hailing the attack as “a successful military operation”, the Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned they could target more facilities in the UAE, which has been part of the Saudi-led war on Yemen that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the country towards humanitarian catastrophe.
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia launched air raids in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, killing more than a dozen people. The Houthis claimed 20 people were killed in the attacks.
While the UAE’s presidential adviser Anwar Gargash has denied that the “heinous” attack could affect the country’s stability and security, analysts say the incident uncovers a very different reality.
“This attack brings home to the UAE that they were playing the game of a major power in the region,” said Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London. It made them realise that “they are, after all a small state with a lot of vulnerabilities.”
“This [the incident] is the greatest damage to the reputation of the UAE because they have always portrayed themselves as a safe and secure country to do business,” he told Al Jazeera.
Marc-Owen Jones, assistant professor of Middle East Studies at Hamad bin Khalifa University, agreed.