Around 600 tourists were left stranded on Yemen’s remote island of Socotra after flights stopped following a deepening rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to accounts from travellers and sources cited by Reuters.
Reuters reported that air traffic at Socotra’s main airport halted after the UAE withdrew troops from Yemen last week under a Saudi-imposed deadline, with the fallout spilling into renewed clashes on Yemen’s mainland where the two Gulf states now support rival factions. Visitors who had planned to fly out to Abu Dhabi were left without clear information on when flights would resume, some saying they may need to reroute via Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Socotra, more than 300 km off Yemen’s coast, has remained relatively calm throughout years of war on the mainland and became a niche destination for travellers drawn to its beaches and distinctive flora, including the dragon blood tree. But the island also sits on a strategic shipping corridor near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a location analysts describe as highly valuable for monitoring and projecting influence in one of the world’s key maritime routes.
The island came under effective Emirati influence in 2018 when UAE military aircraft first landed there, with Abu Dhabi later investing in infrastructure and renovating the airport through the Sheikh Khalifa Foundation, Reuters said. That arrangement is now being shaken by the Saudi-UAE dispute, with two airport sources telling Reuters the facility is no longer under Emirati control and remains closed. Yemeni airlines announced a flight to Jeddah on January 7, signalling a possible shift in airport access and authority.
Stranded travellers warned that the situation could deteriorate quickly due to limited cash supplies on the island, where ATMs and card payments do not function and bank transfers are inoperable. Despite the uncertainty, some tourists told Reuters they were trying to stay calm and make the most of the extra days on the island while awaiting a way out.