Many observers describe recent relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Islah Party in Yemen as a “temporary marriage,” while others believe they are far from that, even temporarily. The UAE and the Islah Party quickly agree with that assessment, only to disagree again even more quickly. They share opportunistic relations marked by distrust on both sides.
The UAE and the Islah Party are united by a common enemy — the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen — but separated by their own interests. Islah is tightly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, but has had to deny its connections because the UAE considers the Brotherhood a terrorist group. The movement in the UAE was accused of trying to stage a coup, and many members, including Yemenis, were arrested a few years ago.
Despite their sudden meeting Nov. 14, it seems the UAE and Islah have no intention of breaking the ice between them. Islah Party leader Mohammed al-Yadomi and Secretary-General Abdul Wahab al-Anesi traveled to the UAE to meet with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. But the meeting was a tactic by both parties to make some stopgap political gains — which are likely to be followed by mutual attacks.
The two parties had also met a year ago in Riyadh, in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for talks on rapprochement between them under Saudi auspices. But a month later, Islah sided with the internationally recognized Yemeni government against pro-UAE forces represented by the separatist Southern Transitional Council in Aden. This happened when clashes broke out in January between council forces and government fighters affiliated with Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
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