The Yemeni government is waging a civil war against the Houthi rebels, centering on occupation and recapture. Disputes have erupted between Saudi Arabia and Oman over control of Yemen's western province of Al Mahra.
And the ongoing tensions with Iran are mainly due to the instability surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for oil exports to the Gulf region, which has put additional pressure on Saudi Arabia to find alternative ways.
According to documents leaked in August 2018, Riyadh wants to build a pipeline from Saudi Arabia to the seaport of Nishtun in Al Mahra. The Saudi administration plans to ensure that oil is shipped directly to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Riyadh sees the Yemeni civil war, which began in 2014, as an opportunity to implement many of its old plans after former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh built a pipeline, built a corridor and rejected Saudi Arabia's control of the area.
Abdus Salam Muhammad, chairman of the Abad Studies and Research Center, told Anadolu Agency that Saudi Arabia considers al-Mahra a strategic area in the Arabian Sea. Which is far from the Iranian-controlled Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Riyadh considers the coast of Tehran a potential threat of drug and arms smuggling.
Saudi Arabia has been increasing its presence in the region since mid-November 2017 in pursuit of its goals in Al Mahra. Riyadh has taken control of various installations in Al Mahra, Nistun Port, Sarfit Port, Shihene Border Crossing and Al Ghaida Airport. The country has increased its military presence in those areas and in important locations along the local coast.
The Saudi Aramco has also explored the possibility of building corridors, pipelines and installations in the area. According to Yemeni media, then in June 2018, Al Mahra visited Saudi Ambassador Muhammad Al-Jarr.
Muhammad said the Yemeni government had not objected to the Saudi project. On the contrary, in various programs, emphasis has been laid on safeguarding Sana's interests in any project in the Gulf, upholding provincial sovereignty, governmental rights and territorial integrity. Emphasis is also placed on avoiding regional and ethnic divisions.
