Saudi Arabia has begun scaling back some of its entertainment projects, including the Neom stadium, and is reportedly considering canceling the 2027 Joy Awards, one of the kingdom’s biggest events, often compared to the Oscars and Grammys.

Field movements suggest that Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognized government are raising their level of preparedness for a possible new round of fighting against the Houthis, amid growing U.S. political and military support.

Saudi Arabia’s Yemen approach depends on fragmented proxies that failed to stabilize the country, while the Islah party remains a structured but mistrusted actor whose role hinges on a shift toward real partnership.

Since tensions between Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi emerged in 2019 over Yemen, Saudi media have framed the dispute in terms of Abu Dhabi’s policies and political team, avoiding language that treats the UAE as a single, unified actor.

Amid the takeover of Seiyun, the largest city in Yemen’s Hadramout Valley, by the UAE-backed STC militia, Saudi Arabia has dispatched a high-level delegation led by Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Ubayd al-Qahtani in an apparent bid to defuse tensions in the oil-rich province.