About 600 tourists, including some Americans, are stranded on the Yemeni island of Socotra after the UAE withdrew its forces and flights at the island's main airport stopped. The Southern Transitional Council still administers Socotra, but the airport is reportedly no longer under Emirati control and remains closed. Yemeni Airlines has announced a planned flight to Jeddah, while the U.S. Embassy warned that airport operations and flight paths could change without notice.
About 600 Tourists Stranded on Socotra After UAE Withdrawal; Airport Closed
About 600 tourists — including several Americans, according to reports — are stranded on the remote Yemeni island of Socotra after the United Arab Emirates withdrew its forces last week under pressure from Saudi Arabia. Flights at the island's main airport have stopped, leaving visitors unable to leave as regional tensions spill into Yemen.
Current Situation
Air traffic at Socotra's principal airport came to a halt amid a growing dispute between the UAE and Saudi Arabia that has translated into fresh confrontations on Yemen's mainland, where the two Gulf powers back opposing sides in the civil war. Two airport sources told Reuters the Southern Transitional Council (STC) still controls the island, but the airport itself is no longer under Emirati authority and remains closed. Yemeni Airlines said late Monday it planned to operate a flight to Jeddah, signaling a potential shift in control of operations.
"The operational status of airports and flight-paths could change without notice," the United States Embassy in Yemen warned, urging travelers to avoid travel to Yemen, including Socotra.
Background
Socotra lies more than 186 miles south of Yemen's mainland coast in the Gulf of Aden, along shipping routes to the Red Sea. The UAE established an effective presence on the island in 2018, when Emirati transport planes landed and troops and equipment disembarked. Since then, Abu Dhabi supported the Southern Transitional Council — a separatist group that seeks autonomy and eventual independence for southern Yemen — and invested in local infrastructure through the Sheikh Khalifa Foundation.
UAE-funded projects brought electricity, improved water supplies and piped cooking gas to parts of the island, and the main airport received new buildings, hangars and a modern navigation system. Those investments helped turn Socotra into a niche tourist destination reachable mainly by packages arranged through Abu Dhabi.
Why It Matters
Socotra's strategic location near the Bab al-Mandab strait and shipping lanes between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula gives the island geopolitical significance beyond its tourism appeal. The recent withdrawal of Emirati forces and the resulting flight suspension underscore how regional rivalries can abruptly affect civilians and visitors alike. Many tourists had not anticipated the risk posed by proximity to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, even though Socotra had been largely insulated from mainland fighting for more than a decade.
Reporting: CNN and Reuters. This situation remains fluid; travelers should follow official travel advisories.
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