London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

‘Fully-fledged’ British force training Saudi troops in Yemen, report says, hinting at extent of UK involvement in civil war

‘Fully-fledged’ British force training Saudi troops in Yemen, report says, hinting at extent of UK involvement in civil war

A shadowy unit of British troops has reportedly been providing on-site training and support to Saudi forces in Yemen, bringing fresh scrutiny to the official UK stance of not being “party” to the ongoing conflict in the country.

For months, some 30 soldiers have been stationed at the coalition-occupied Al-Ghaydah airport in the restive eastern province of Mahra, according to news outlet Declassified UK. A number of human-rights groups have alleged torture of detainees at a prison located in the airport.

“The tasks assigned to them so far are military training and logistical support, either for Saudi forces or Saudi-backed militia that are elements from the Southern Transitional Council (a Yemeni secessionist group),” said Hameed Zaabnoot, a tribal leader who has organised ongoing mass sit-in protests against Saudi presence in Mahra.

Relaying that British forces were located in specially designated areas of the airport, Zaabnoot told the publication that they numbered “between 20 and 30 instructors, 10 of (whom) are permanent.” He added that the soldiers arrive aboard Saudi military aircraft and are not bound by visa checks.


“Saudi forces carry out strict security measures against civilian or military personnel inside the airport,” he said, claiming that mobile phones were prohibited, which made it difficult to photograph the British troops.

According to Naser Hakem Abdullah Awidh, a local journalist embedded with Saudi forces at the airport who has seen the soldiers on site, this is no “minor” unit but a “fully-fledged force.”

The outlet said the soldiers have been there for months and reportedly even conduct tourist trips in mufti.

Claiming that it seeks a “sustainable political solution,” Whitehall has repeatedly denied any active involvement – former UK minister of state for the Middle East Alistair Burt told Parliament in 2019 that it was “not a party to” the war – in the coalition, which seeks to reinstate the Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi government that was toppled by the Houthi rebellion in 2015.

Despite such disavowals, the British military and its defence industries are widely understood to be key actors in sustaining the war effort. They are particularly involved in the training, advising and supplying of Saudi air force operations that bomb Houthi strongholds.

For instance, in the five-year period of conflict between 2015 and 2020, the country’s leading arms manufacturer BAE Systems was learned to have sold £15 billion ($20.27 billion) worth of arms, training and other services to Saudi armed forces.

In 2019, however, the extent of British involvement in the conflict became public knowledge, after news emerged of elite Special Boat Service commandos being injured in an alleged gun battle in the Sa’dah area of northern Yemen.

As well, British air defence teams have been deployed to Saudi Arabia to man Giraffe radars that track Houthi drones and rockets since February 2020. Their presence comes at a £2.3-million ($3.1 million) hit to UK taxpayers thus far.

In an interview in Arabic broadcast last month by Yemen’s Al-Mahriah TV channel, UK ambassador Michael Aron did not deny that British forces were in the country.

“We support efforts of fighting terrorism and smuggling. This has been our position for a long time,” Aron said, adding that the UK has “good and deep relations with the legitimate government.”

However, in March 2021, Mahra’s former deputy governor Sheikh Ali Salem Al-Huraizi had denied that there were terrorism threats in the area and demanded the withdrawal of all foreign forces, including UK and US troops – the presence of which was exposed during US ambassador Christopher Henzel’s visit in December 2020.

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Declassified that the UK is “not a member of the Saudi-led coalition” and has “played no role in setting Saudi-led coalition policy.”

“The UK’s defence relationship with Saudi Arabia includes training courses, advice and guidance. This supports the efforts of Saudi Arabia to protect national and regional security, as well as their military’s compliance with international humanitarian law,” the spokesperson said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×