The UAE occupation forces have started oil exploration efforts in Yemeni waters, as part of its efforts to dominate the country’s wealth, a Yemeni source said on Wednesday.

The sources indicated that Abu Dhabi located seven marine sectors for oil drilling, after having started studies back in 2016. Four of these sectors are located in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden, including sites in Rass Omran near Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Through its presence in Yemen, the UAE has attempted to control the oil areas in the governorates of Shabwah and Hadhramaut, in addition to the coasts and oil ports. The Emirati occupation force has used its militia to blow up oil pipelines, spread chaos and cause sabotage in the Yemeni provinces under its control.

On Sunday, the Yemeni government in Sana’a expressed its opposition to an investment promotion program launched by Somalia into promising oil regions in the Yemeni archipelago of Socotra.