Cairo, Egypt — Egypt has passed sensitive intelligence on United Arab Emirates (UAE) naval operations to Saudi Arabia, including tracking data on Emirati vessels in the Red Sea, in a bid to repair strained relations with Riyadh, a senior Egyptian presidential source told Middle East Eye.
The move signals a significant realignment in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, as Cairo moves to counter what it views as a growing threat from UAE-backed separatist movements in Yemen, Sudan, and Somaliland.
According to the source, Egyptian intelligence provided Saudi authorities with radar data and recordings of Emirati officials discussing their coordination with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen.
The disclosure comes just days after the Saudi-led coalition accused the UAE of facilitating the escape of STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi from Aden to Abu Dhabi via the breakaway region of Somaliland.
“Egypt offered the UAE as a sacrifice to restore Saudi support and preserve national security,” the presidential source said, describing the intelligence transfer as a “carefully planned manoeuvre.”
Somaliland connection
The intelligence sharing follows a dramatic collapse in the UAE-Saudi partnership in Yemen. Earlier in January, Saudi-backed government forces retook control of Aden after Riyadh launched airstrikes on STC positions.
The conflict spilled directly into the Horn of Africa when the Saudi-led coalition stated that al-Zubaidi fled Yemen by boat to Berbera, Somaliland, before flying to the UAE.
A report by The Guardian confirmed Saudi accusations that the STC leader’s escape was orchestrated under Emirati supervision, using a flight path that crossed Somali airspace to reach Mogadishu and then Abu Dhabi.
For Cairo, the UAE’s deepening footprint in Somaliland and its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan represent a strategic encirclement.
Egyptian officials have increasingly viewed Abu Dhabi’s backing of secessionist groups in these three arenas—Yemen, Sudan, and Somaliland—as a unified threat to Egypt’s national security and regional cohesion.
“We raised our concerns about UAE support to armed groups in Sudan and the impact on regional stability,” an Egyptian diplomatic source said.
Naval escalation
Riyadh has now asked Cairo to actively disrupt Emirati logistics. Following a visit by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Egypt earlier this month, Saudi officials requested that Egyptian naval forces prepare to cut supply lines from the UAE to southern Yemen.
The source confirmed that Egypt deployed Mistral-class helicopter carriers further south in the Red Sea to monitor Emirati activity.
Egyptian naval units used surveillance systems to track Emirati ship movements and shared the coordinates with Riyadh prior to the Saudi operation against the STC.
This intelligence cooperation marks a sharp pivot from recent diplomatic friction.
Prior to this rapprochement, relations between Cairo and Riyadh had shown signs of strain, with both capitals pursuing competing priorities across regional issues, including the war in Gaza and the conflict in Sudan.
However, the threat of fragmentation in Yemen appears to have unified their positions. While Cairo maintains diplomatic ties with Abu Dhabi, the government has aligned itself firmly with the Saudi position on preserving the territorial integrity of Yemen.
“Egypt supports Saudi Arabia in Yemen, standing firmly against separatist moves in the south,” the presidential source said.
Economic fallout
The diplomatic shift has already impacted commercial deals.
Egypt’s state-run Holding Company for Maritime and Land Transport recently blocked a bid by UAE-based Black Caspian Logistics to acquire a 90% stake in the Alexandria Container and Cargo Handling Company.
While the UAE firm already holds a minority stake, Ahram Online reported that Egyptian authorities rejected the new offer, which would have given the Emirati company control over a strategic Egyptian port operator.
“After the recent rapprochement with Saudi Arabia, Sisi told officials to stop the sale of some assets previously agreed with the UAE,” the presidential source said.
The UAE has reportedly pushed back against this realignment.
A separate Egyptian diplomatic source noted that Abu Dhabi had “warned” Cairo against improving relations with Riyadh at the UAE’s expense, emphasizing the need to protect shared economic interests and investments.