Yemen's renewed Houthi offensive has prompted fresh UK military support for Saudi Arabia, raising concerns over London's role in the war [Getty]
The UK has sent military advisors to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom confronts a renewed Houthi offensive in Yemen, with experts telling The New Arab that renewed British support risks deepening London's role in a conflict that has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis.
Bloomberg reported that the UK had sent military advisors to assist Saudi Arabia and was considering providing military aid to the kingdom, as Riyadh faces renewed pressure from the Houthis.
Sam Perlo-Freeman, research coordinator at the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), told The New Arab that the renewed British support was deeply concerning given London's previous role in arming and supporting the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen.
"The UK was deeply involved in arming and supporting Saudi in this absolutely horrific conflict, and it is absolutely appalling that we are seeing this pattern repeating itself," Perlo-Freeman said.
He said the renewed assistance was unsurprising given the scale of military trade between Britain and Saudi Arabia.
"Just recently, the government published its latest arms export licensing statistics for quarter one of 2026, which showed that there was over £416 million worth of export licenses to Saudi Arabia in the ML four category, which covers bombs, missiles, etc," he said.
"It's unfortunately not surprising that the UK is wanting to offer more support yet to its closest Middle East ally, but it's a terrible idea," he added.
Saudi Arabia, one of Britain's closest military partners, has been involved in Yemen's civil war since 2015, when it launched airstrikes against the Houthis at the request of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who was Yemen's president at the start of the war.
The kingdom has continued its military involvement in the conflict on and off over the past 11 years. Saudi military action has included attacks on civilian targets, such as strikes on a ceramics factory in 2015 and a community college in 2016. CAAT has reported that weapons originating in the UK were used in both strikes.
The renewed British involvement comes as Saudi Arabia faces a deteriorating position in Yemen after the Houthis made significant territorial gains and stepped up attacks on Saudi territory.
Saudi Arabia's most recent military involvement in Yemen began earlier this month after the Houthis captured the port of Mocha and Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key shipping route for Saudi oil.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait has similar strategic significance to the Strait of Hormuz, which was effectively closed by Iran in March in retaliation for US-Israel strikes on the country. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for Gulf oil, caused a global surge in oil prices.
Abdul Shaif, chairman of the UK-based Friends of South Yemen advocacy group, warned that further fighting around the Bab al-Mandab could have serious consequences for Yemen's already dire humanitarian situation.
"If there is renewed fighting in that area of the world, that will also affect transport routes, which could affect the movement of food, fuel, and aid into Yemen, both in the north and in the south," Shaif told The New Arab.
"I think that dimension needs to be taken very, very seriously because if you disturb the supply lines of food that will only make matters much, much worse," he added.
The latest UN figures show about 94,000 people displaced in Yemen since the fighting intensified this month, with the number still rising.
The UK Foreign Office has not yet responded to The New Arab's request for comment.