Secret detention facilities run by the UAE in Yemen’s occupied governorates have resurfaced, this time through Saudi media outlets, which reported the existence of clandestine prisons and systematic abuses in areas under coalition control.

In recent days, Saudi media coverage focusing on Hadhramawt cited documented evidence—including photos, documents, and videos—of secret underground detention centers operated by the UAE at key sites such as Al-Rayyan Airport, Al-Dhabba Port, and the Balhaf gas facility. The reports echoed long-standing claims by Yemeni and international human rights organizations regarding torture and inhumane treatment in these facilities.

According to the reports, the detention sites were constructed beneath strategic installations, some extending up to 15 meters underground and stretching dozens of meters in length. The facilities were reportedly designed to evade satellite monitoring and international inspections, while completely isolating detainees from the outside world. Media accounts said the prisons were deliberately concealed in coastal areas and densely vegetated zones to facilitate enforced disappearances.

Saudi newspaper Okaz published details indicating the involvement of security figures affiliated with Abu Dhabi in managing the alleged facilities, naming individuals said to be responsible for their operation. Pro-coalition sources also acknowledged the presence of explosives storage sites at Al-Rayyan Airport, which they said were prepared for targeted assassinations inside Hadhramawt.

The reports documented the names of dozens of individuals who have been forcibly disappeared since 2016, amid growing suspicions of mass graves for victims who died under torture. They also cited that armed groups and mercenaries were recruited and granted unofficial ranks to carry out raids, intimidate civilians, and storm homes.

According to the coverage, the violations are not limited to Hadhramawt but extend to other occupied areas, including Shabwa, Marib, Aden, and the western coast, where secret prisons are said to operate with Saudi and Emirati funding and supervision.

Since the Saudi-led coalition launched its military intervention in Yemen in 2015, reports of secret detention centers, enforced disappearances, and torture in coalition-controlled areas have been repeatedly raised by local and international rights groups. Facilities linked to UAE-backed forces have been under particular scrutiny, especially in southern and eastern Yemen.

While Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have denied systematic abuses, the latest Saudi media reports have highlighted growing internal tensions within the coalition and renewed calls for independent investigations. Human rights advocates argue that these practices constitute grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and they have urged accountability through international mechanisms.

Al Masirah report

She Helped Expose Secret UAE-Run Prisons in Yemen — and Paid a Steep Price
Huda Al-Sarari was forced into exile after her work documenting human rights abuses by U.S.-backed Emirati forces garnered global attention – The Intercept report.