The satellite images of DigitalGlobe seem to indicate that the United Arab Emirates have ceased the construction of an aeronautical runway on the island of Mayyun, on the Yemeni island of Perim, on the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb facing the shores of Djibouti ( in the photo above).

The stop at work could be linked to the determination of the Arab state to complete the construction of an air and naval base near Berbera in Somaliland.

Using satellite images and ship tracking data, Jane's Defense Weekly revealed in February 2017 that the United Arab Emirates had begun building a 3.2-kilometer trail on the volcanic island in late 2016, likely to support its military operations in southern Yemen and helping to garrison the strategic entry point to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Satellite images show that the construction was interrupted less than a year after the start. Some construction equipment was removed by October 1, 2017 and the shipyard and support area appear to have been completely evacuated by October 25 of last year and by the beginning of this year also shipping vessels of the materials had left the island.

The United Arab Emirates plan to build a military base in Berbera had instead been announced in February 2017, when it was approved by the parliament of the separatist region of Somaliland.

The UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea reported in November 2017 that the United Arab Emirates had begun building a naval base west of Berbera and had obtained permission to renovate and use existing facilities at the city's airport as military base for 25 years.

The impression is therefore that the United Arab Emirates intend to concentrate in Somaliland their long-term military resilience in that region which sees Abu Dhabi troops presently present in Yemen.

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UAE stops work on Bab al-Mandab island base

Jeremy Binnie, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

The outline of the runway the UAE was building on Mayyun can be seen in this 11 March satellite image, but work on the runway appears to have stopped in October 2017. Source: © 2018 DigitalGlobe, Inc

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) appears to have stopped building a runway on Yemen’s Mayyun (Perim/Barim) island in the Bab al-Mandab strait, but is pushing forward with a base near Berbera in Somaliland.

Using satellite imagery and ship-tracking data, Jane’s revealed in February 2017 that the UAE had begun constructing a 3.2 km-long runway on the volcanic island in late 2016, probably to support its military operations in southern Yemen and/or help secure the strategically important maritime chokepoint.

However, DigitalGlobe satellite imagery shows construction stopped less than a year after it begun. Some construction equipment had been removed by 1 October 2017 and the construction site and support area appear to have been completely evacuated by 25 October. Barges and landing craft were still present in the bay formed by the crescent-shaped island on that date, but none were present on 1 January.

The UAE’s plan to build a military base in Berbera was revealed in February 2017, when it was approved by the parliament of the separatist region of Somaliland, although few details were announced.

The UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea reported in November 2017 that the UAE had begun building a naval base west of Berbera and had been granted permission to refurbish and use existing facilities at the city’s airport as a military base for 25 years, primarily for anti-piracy maritime patrols and not for carrying out airstrikes.

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