A heavy cargo aircraft previously associated with arms transfers to UAE backed forces in Sudan and Libya has conducted a series of flights in recent days between military installations in Abu Dhabi, Israel, Bahrain, and Ethiopia, according to findings revealed by Middle East Eye.
While the precise purpose of these flights and any operational linkage between them remains unclear, their timing coincides with an intensifying geopolitical struggle between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia across Yemen and the Horn of Africa. This rivalry has reshaped regional power balances and raised concerns over a renewed escalation in Sudan’s ongoing war.
The UAE has recently suffered strategic setbacks following Saudi led military action that removed the Emirati backed Southern Transitional Council from the Yemeni port city of Aden. Abu Dhabi has also withdrawn from its key military base in Bosaso on Somalia’s northern coast.
At the same time, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, where the UAE operates another military facility and controls the strategic port of Berbera, has further unsettled the regional order. This development has fuelled speculation that Ethiopia, a close partner of Abu Dhabi, may follow suit in exchange for access to Berbera.
Sudan’s war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023 and has produced the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, has now become deeply entangled in this broader regional contest. Saudi Arabia, alongside Egypt and Turkey, has intensified military backing for the Sudanese army in an effort to counter the UAE’s long standing support for the RSF.
Following Somalia’s cancellation of all agreements with the UAE, uncertainty has surrounded Emirati bases in Berbera and Bosaso. Multiple sources, including a former Ethiopian government adviser, indicate that Emirati personnel have since been redeployed to Ethiopia, now viewed as central to Abu Dhabi’s regional strategy.
The adviser, who served the Addis Ababa government for over a decade, stated that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali appears committed to aligning Ethiopia firmly with the UAE bloc. According to the source, officials within Ethiopia’s foreign policy establishment believe Abu Dhabi has exerted decisive influence over Ethiopia’s positions on Sudan, the RSF, and Eritrea’s Assab port for the past two years.
Analyst Jalel Harchaoui told Middle East Eye that since the outbreak of the Sudan war, the UAE has acted with exceptional speed, financial investment, and assertiveness compared to other foreign actors. However, he noted that Saudi Arabia’s gains in Yemen late last year have strengthened Riyadh’s regional standing, enabling it to invest heavily in reshaping the trajectory of the Sudan conflict.
Reuters recently reported that Pakistan is in advanced negotiations over a defence package worth approximately 1.5 billion dollars for the Sudanese army, including fighter jets, attack aircraft, and hundreds of drones.
Harchaoui argued that while many regional players may adjust to Saudi initiatives, Ethiopia is unlikely to do so. He stated that Addis Ababa remains aligned with the UAE, prompting Emirati planners to focus military logistics through Ethiopian territory after Saudi moves disrupted other operational hubs.
Repeated Cargo Flights Under Scrutiny
Flight tracking data analysed by Middle East Eye shows repeated journeys by an Antonov An 124 cargo aircraft operated by Maximus Air, tail number UR ZYD, between Abu Dhabi and Harar Meda airbase, the main base of the Ethiopian Air Force.
On several occasions in January, the aircraft flew from Abu Dhabi and the Al Dhafra military base to Harar Meda, remained on the ground for short periods, and returned to the UAE. It later travelled onward to Addis Ababa, France, Kazakhstan, China, and Thailand.
Notably, days before its first Ethiopian flight, the same aircraft conducted multiple round trips between Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Air Base and Israel’s Ovda Air Base in the Negev desert.
Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, stated that repeated An 124 flights between Abu Dhabi and an airfield near areas of intensified RSF activity should raise international concern, given the aircraft’s immense cargo capacity.
If it is established that these flights involved UAE support for the RSF, Raymond said Ethiopia would bear responsibility to deny Emirati access to its airspace.
A Sudanese intelligence source added that the RSF recently acquired at least six fighter aircraft, reportedly sourced through networks linked to Emirati defence contractors. According to the source, these aircraft are dismantled and transported via cargo planes to Ethiopia or Libya’s al Kufra airbase, controlled by forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar.
The UAE has denied supporting the RSF, which stands accused of genocide in Darfur.
Maximus Air and the Haftar Supply Network
Maximus Air, based in Abu Dhabi, is part of the Abu Dhabi Aviation group, majority owned by ADQ, chaired by UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Its clients include senior state institutions and armed forces entities.
The airline has previously been cited in United Nations investigations into violations of the Libya arms embargo. A 2021 UN panel identified UR ZYD as part of a covert Emirati air bridge supplying weapons to Haftar’s forces, which later assisted the RSF in Sudan.
The same aircraft has also been linked by open source investigators to weapons transfers to Ethiopia during the Tigray war and to supply routes through Chad to the RSF.
Despite claims of humanitarian missions highlighted in Abu Dhabi Aviation’s annual reports, Maximus Air did not respond to requests for comment.
The aircraft has also reportedly accompanied UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed on overseas visits, including a recent trip to Pakistan, underscoring its continued strategic relevance.
