In the sands of Yemen’s Mayun Island, a long, quiet airstrip has emerged — presented officially as a “civil project,” but in reality, it resembles a military base overlooking one of the most sensitive maritime chokepoints in the world: the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Far from being an isolated development, this airstrip forms part of a wider Emirati strategy to establish a chain of maritime and aerial influence stretching from the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa — giving Abu Dhabi and its partners a commanding view of global energy and trade routes linking East and West.
Satellite imagery and local observations reveal rapid expansion around the site, with little transparency from those behind it.
Combined with the UAE’s existing logistical networks in Eritrea, Somaliland, and other regional ports, the Mayun project fits squarely into a pattern of militarised influence cloaked in civilian rhetoric.
The Lifeline of Global Trade
Through the Bab al-Mandab Strait pass millions of barrels of oil and strategic goods each day — arteries vital to the global economy.
Any new “monitoring base” or “airstrip” in this zone cannot be separated from geopolitical ambitions.
What’s presented as an effort to “secure navigation” in fact appears as a move to dominate maritime routes, manipulate insurance and shipping costs, and leverage access during regional crises.
From a single runway on Mayun to observation posts along the African coast, a network of Emirati-led facilities — many with Israeli coordination — now forms a strategic arc of influence, enabling real-time ship tracking, potential interception of logistics, and increased leverage in regional diplomacy and security.
This expansion is not just about Yemen. It is about transforming a war-torn, politically paralysed nation into a staging ground for foreign interests, undermining sovereignty under the guise of “development.”
Yemen’s Sovereignty Undermined
Turning a Yemeni island into an outpost serving a foreign power’s geopolitical ambitions is a direct assault on Yemen’s fragile sovereignty.
It exposes how external actors exploit the country’s humanitarian and political weakness to cement long-term control.
This model — substituting reconstruction and diplomacy with bases and dominance — risks fragmenting Yemen’s geography and identity even further.
Instead of being a platform for national recovery, Mayun risks becoming a pressure card used in regional negotiations or economic blackmail — a chilling precedent for the entire Red Sea basin.
The Security Dimension: A Powder Keg in the Red Sea
Analysts warn that any military or quasi-military presence in a strait as strategic as Bab al-Mandab will provoke regional and international reactions, potentially sparking escalation.
A power seeking to secure its trade routes will inevitably face counter-moves from rival states or local factions who see such expansion as a threat to their own maritime interests.
In Yemen’s fragmented environment — where armed groups, regional proxies, and foreign interests overlap — every new military structure risks becoming a flashpoint for confrontation, threatening the safety of global shipping and the stability of the Red Sea corridor.
Humanitarian and Legal Implications
Beyond strategy, the human and legal costs are immense.
A country suffering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises is now being turned into a platform for geopolitical power plays.
Repackaging military infrastructure as “development projects” violates international law, deepens economic exploitation, and marginalises Yemen’s own people in determining the fate of their land.
Such actions transform neutral international waterways into zones of influence, undermining the principles of sovereignty and fair navigation.
Calls for International Oversight
The world cannot afford to ignore what is unfolding in Mayun.
The international community, regional organisations, and neighbouring states must reject any conversion of civilian facilities into military bases without clear Yemeni consent and oversight.
Independent monitoring mechanisms should be established to ensure that projects in critical maritime zones like Bab al-Mandab remain transparent, civilian in nature, and internationally accountable.
The United Nations and relevant bodies must push for political pathways that remove militarisation from Yemen’s reconstruction and development agenda — otherwise, instability will become permanent.
🕊️ Bab al-Mandab: The Red Sea’s New Chessboard
Mayun Island is no mere airstrip — it is a litmus test for the future of the Red Sea.
If left unchecked, the militarisation of this Yemeni island will grant foreign powers — including Israel and the UAE — control over one of the world’s most vital maritime arteries, allowing them to dictate movement, manipulate trade, and reshape regional sovereignty.
In an interconnected world, no nation benefits from selective security, especially when the people of Yemen — the rightful custodians of this land — remain excluded from deciding their fate.
