Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Dr. Mohammed Abdulmajid Qubati, former Yemeni Minister of Information and Tourism and Deputy Head of the Southern Democratic Civil Coalition, has revealed details of what he described as a “subversive plot” led by the United Arab Emirates aimed at “toppling Yemen’s legitimate government and dismantling its institutions,” noting that he informed former President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi of these moves at an early stage.
In statements to the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan, Qubati said the Emirati plan relied on two parallel tracks to undermine the Yemeni state. The first involved offering massive financial and material incentives—including palaces, exorbitant salaries, and Emirati citizenship—to ministers and senior military and civilian leaders, in exchange for working in line with Emirati directives.
The second track, according to Qubati, focused on “manufacturing discord within the ranks of the legitimate government” by inciting Yemeni officials against the presidency, convincing them that they were “wronged” and deserved higher positions in a future “southern government.”
Qubati also disclosed the direct role of the former Emirati ambassador to Yemen, Salem bin Khalifa Al-Ghufaili, in this plot, stating that the ambassador personally attempted to lure him with attractive offers. When he refused, Qubati said, the ambassador “worked to obstruct my relationships and incite against me,” particularly after the UAE knew that he had informed the Yemeni presidency of the plan.
The former minister further revealed what he called the “Emirati Crescent Plan,” describing it as a political and economic project that extends beyond Yemen and is linked to interests with Israel.
According to Qubati, this geographic corridor stretches from Abu Dhabi and Fujairah to Socotra, Mukalla, Aden, and the strategic Mayun Island, then on to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Sudan, with the aim of achieving “full control over maritime passages and vital locations.”
Illustrating what he described as the depth of Emirati influence, Qubati recounted that during his work as Minister of Tourism, he had agreed with the King of Spain on a global tourism project on Socotra Island. However, the project faced firm rejection from the island’s governor at the time when Qubati and President Hadi moved to begin implementation.
Qubati quoted the governor as telling them bluntly: “The opinion of our brothers in the UAE must be taken and an understanding reached with them before any work,” a statement Qubati viewed as a clear indication of the obstruction of Yemeni sovereignty in favor of an external agenda.
