A senior Yemeni official says the alliance with UAE might be heading to an end after its forces were deployed to a Yemeni island, recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site, without prior consultation with the government.

The UAE is a major pillar in the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in northern Yemen, under the banner of restoring the authority of self-exiled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

The Emiratis however have carved a zone of influence in southern Yemen over the past two years, setting up prisons and militias.