Satellite images have revealed a striking new development in the Red Sea: the construction of a nearly 2,000-metre airstrip on Zuqar Island, a volcanic outcrop off Yemen’s coast. This project, which began in April 2025, is believed by analysts and Western officials to be the work of forces aligned against Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The new runway, with its fresh asphalt and newly painted markings visible in October satellite photos, marks another link in a growing network of offshore military bases in a region that has become a flashpoint for global shipping and military tension.
Zuqar Island’s transformation is no small matter. Located about 90 kilometers southeast of the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeida—a key shipping hub—the island sits at the crossroads of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This narrow waterway is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, connecting the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans and enabling the passage of millions of barrels of oil and vast amounts of commercial goods each day.
According to The Associated Press, the construction on Zuqar Island began with the building of a dock, followed by land clearing along the future runway’s site. By late August, satellite images showed asphalt being laid, and by mid-October, runway markings were in place. No party has formally claimed responsibility for the project, but a web of evidence—ship-tracking data, maritime company acknowledgments, and the pattern of similar past projects—points strongly toward the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the driving force.
Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press revealed that the Batsa, a Togolese-flagged bulk carrier registered to a Dubai-based maritime firm, spent nearly a week at the new dock after arriving from Berbera in Somaliland, home to a major DP World port. While DP World declined to comment, Saif Shipping and Marine Services, a Dubai-based company, acknowledged it had received an order to deliver asphalt to Zuqar Island on behalf of other UAE-based firms. This pattern mirrors previous runway projects across Yemen and the region, many of which have later been linked to the UAE.
The UAE’s involvement in building military infrastructure in Yemen is hardly new. In recent years, the federation of seven sheikhdoms—including Abu Dhabi and Dubai—has been credited with constructing or extending runways in Mocha, Dhubab, Abd al-Kuri Island, and Mayun Island. These projects have allowed for the landing of larger aircraft and the creation of strategic footholds throughout the region. Local officials and anti-Houthi forces, such as the Southern Transitional Council, have acknowledged the UAE’s role in these efforts, even as the UAE itself has declined to comment publicly on the Zuqar airstrip.
Why does this matter now? The answer lies in the escalating conflict that has engulfed Yemen and spilled into international waters. Houthi militants, backed by Iran, have attacked over 100 vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, sinking four ships and causing at least nine mariner deaths. These attacks have sent shockwaves through global shipping and prompted robust military responses from the United States and Israel, including a weeks-long campaign of airstrikes known as Operation Rough Rider. Yet, as The Associated Press notes, the anti-Houthi coalition remains fragmented and has not mounted a unified offensive, even amid these intense bombardments.
Zuqar Island’s latest airstrip could tip the balance, at least in terms of surveillance and interdiction. "A likely Emirati airstrip in Zuqar could serve to improve surveillance and monitoring off the Hodeida coast to better support Yemeni forces in tackling smuggling," said Eleonora Ardemagni, an analyst at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies. She added, "There’s a more important point in my view regarding the build up in Zuqar: the countering of Houthis’ smuggling activities, with particular regard to weapons."
Indeed, in recent months, anti-Houthi forces have managed to intercept more cargo bound for the Houthis, including significant hauls of weapons—an achievement praised by the U.S. military’s Central Command. Having a permanent presence on Zuqar Island could further bolster these efforts, providing extensive aerial surveillance over the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This would not only help counter Houthi smuggling but also serve as a deterrent against further maritime attacks.
Zuqar Island’s history is as turbulent as its present. In 1995, Eritrea captured the island after a brief conflict with Yemen, but an international court returned it to Yemeni custody in 1998. The island’s strategic significance only grew after the Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, and then took control of Zuqar during their southward advance. Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in 2015 on behalf of Yemen’s exiled government, retaking Zuqar and establishing it as a staging ground for naval forces loyal to Tariq Saleh, nephew of Yemen’s late strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh. Tariq Saleh, once aligned with the Houthis before his uncle’s death, has since been backed by the UAE.
Despite these shifting alliances and the seemingly endless cycle of conflict, the front lines in Yemen have remained largely static for years. What has changed is the Houthis’ strategy: their campaign has gone global, targeting shipping and drawing in international actors. As Yemen expert Gregory D. Johnsen wrote in June, "The Houthis, like any insurgent group, win by not losing. It is how the group has survived and grown from each of its wars."
While the new airstrip on Zuqar Island is not expected to trigger an imminent military campaign, its potential is clear. It could be used for aerial surveillance, rapid response, and logistical support, enhancing the anti-Houthi coalition’s ability to monitor and interdict shipments—especially weapons—destined for the rebels. As Ardemagni noted, "The possibility of a new Yemeni offensive against the Houthis, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, can’t be ruled out, although I don’t see it as approaching."
For now, the construction of the Zuqar airstrip stands as a testament to the evolving nature of the conflict in Yemen and the broader strategic contest in the Red Sea. With each new runway, the balance of power shifts ever so slightly, and the world watches—sometimes nervously—as these developments play out in one of the world’s most volatile and vital regions.