UAE, Yemen 'reach deal' on Socotra island following tensions

The UAE and Yemen have reached an agreement over recent tensions on the Yemeni island of Socotra, the Saudi-led coalition has said.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki made the announcement on Monday during a press conference aired on local al-Arabiya TV.

"There were some differences in opinions between our brothers the Emiratis and local Yemeni authorities over the way some matters were handled on the island," Turki said.

"An agreement has been reached on a comprehensive, joint method of coordination between both parties," he added.

Tensions have been growing on Socotra over the UAE's growing influence on the island, leading some islanders to accuse the Gulf state of "occupying" the world natural heritage site.

On Friday, a Saudi delegation travelled to Socotra to defuse new tensions after the UAE deployed troops on the idland without informing President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi's government.

The delegation met with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher in the presence of an Emirati official.

Street protests have erupted on the island against the UAE's presence.

Protesters called on Hadi's government to protect Socotra's unique natural environment from what they said was damage caused by Emirati construction projects on the island.

The Emirati foreign ministry has denied that it has overreached in Socotra after it deployed around 300 forces to vital institutions in the island - including the airport, the ports, the government's headquarters, and kicked out the Yemeni forces.

A local source told The New Arab on Monday that Socotri islanders prevented Emirati forces from setting up a military checkpoint on the coast.

Socotra - which has been spared the violence that has ravaged mainland Yemen - sits at the exit of a bustling shipping lane that leads from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean.

The UAE is a major pillar in a Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's rebels known as Houthis under the banner of restoring the authority of Hadi.

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