![Yemen-map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Yemen-map.gif)
The Saudi Arabia–Yemen border is 1,307 km (812 mi) in length and runs from the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
coast in the west to the
tripoint
A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...
with
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
in the east.
Description
The border starts in the west on the Red Sea coast just north of
Midi
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...
. An irregular line then proceeds to the north-east and then east to the vicinity of Al Bugal, first through a coastal plain and then through the
Sarawat Mountains
The Sarawat Mountains ( ar, جِبَالُ ٱلسَّرَوَاتِ, Jibāl as-Sarawāt), also known as the Sarat, is a part of the Hijaz mountains in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula. In a broad sense, it runs parallel to the eastern c ...
. A series of straight lines then proceeds eastwards through the
Rub al Khali
The Rub' al KhaliOther standardized transliterations include: / . The ' is the assimilated Arabic definite article, ', which can also be transliterated as '. (; ar, ٱلرُّبْع ٱلْخَالِي (), the "Empty Quarter") is the sand de ...
desert, dipping south so as to include Al Wadiah within Saudi Arabia, before further straight line segments proceed to the north-east and then eastwards to the Omani tripoint.
History
Historically there was no clearly defined boundary in this part of the Arabian peninsula; at the start of the 20th century the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
controlled the western coast as far south as
North Yemen
North Yemen may refer to:
* Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (1918–1962)
* Yemen Arab Republic
The Yemen Arab Republic (YAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية اليمنية '), also known simply as North Yemen or Yemen (Sanaʽa), was a ...
, Britain controlled
Aden
Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...
(South Yemen), with the interior consisting of loosely organised Arab groupings, occasionally forming emirates, most prominent of which was the
Emirate of Nejd and Hasa
The Emirate of Nejd and Hasa was the second iteration of the Third Saudi State from 1913 to 1921. It was a monarchy led by the House of Saud.Madawi Al-Rasheed. (2002). ''A History of Saudi Arabia''. Cambridge, England, UK: Cambridge University P ...
ruled by the
al-Saud
The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...
family.
[ Madawi Al-Rasheed. ''A History of Saudi Arabia''. Cambridge, England, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Pp. 40.] Britain and the Ottoman Empire theoretically divided their realms of influence in Arabia via the so-called '
Blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...
' and '
Violet lines' in 1913–14, however these agreements were rendered
null and void
In law, void means of no legal effect. An action, document, or transaction which is void is of no legal effect whatsoever: an absolute nullity—the law treats it as if it had never existed or happened. The term void ''ab initio'', which means " ...
following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
![Yemen_map_1993](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Yemen_map_1993.jpg)
During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, an
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية, ) or the Great Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية الكبرى, ) was a military uprising of Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On t ...
, supported by Britain, succeeded in removing the Ottomans from the Arabian peninsula; in the period following this
Ibn Saud
Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...
managed to expand his kingdom considerably, eventually proclaiming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. In the south-west the
Idrisid Emirate of Asir
The Idrisid Emirate of Asir () was a state located in the Arabian Peninsula. The Emirate was located in the geographical region of Asir and Jizan in what is now southwestern Saudi Arabia, and extending to Hodeidah, northwest of Yemen.
History
...
had taken advantage of the Ottoman withdrawal and declared independence in 1917, only to be annexed by the Saudis in 1926–30.
More successful was the
Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen
The Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen ( ar, المملكة المتوكلية اليمنية '), also known as the Kingdom of Yemen or simply as Yemen, or, retrospectively, as North Yemen, was a state that existed between 1918 and 1962 in the nor ...
(later known as the
Yemen Arab Republic or North Yemen) further south, which declared independence in 1918. North Yemen and Saudi Arabia had no defined frontier and disputed ownership of border territories (notably
Asir
The ʿAsir Region ( ar, عَسِيرٌ, ʿAsīr, lit=difficult) is a region of Saudi Arabia located in the southwest of the country that is named after the ʿAsīr tribe. It has an area of and an estimated population of 2,211,875 (2017). It is ...
,
Jizan
Jazan ( ar, جازان, Jāzān), also spelled ''Jizan'' ( ar, جيزان, Jīzān), ''Gizan'' or ''Gazan'', is a port city and the capital of Jizan Region, which lies in the southwest corner of Saudi Arabia and directly north of the border with ...
and
Najran
Najran ( ar, نجران '), is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated as a new town, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom; its population has risen fr ...
, claimed by North Yemen as part of '
Greater Yemen
Yemen Region ( ar, إقليم اليمن, Eglîm el-Yemen) also known as South Arabia is a geographic term denoting territories of historic South Arabia which included All lands between the Gulf of Oman in the east and the Red Sea in the west.
...
'); these tensions culminated in a
border war in 1934, in which Saudi Arabia won control over most of the disputed territories. By the
Treaty of Taif
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...
, signed 12 May 1934, a partial border was drawn that extended inland to the vicinity of Najran, being demarcated on the ground in the following two years.
This treaty was renewable every 20 years.
On 25 November 1935 British officials met with Ibn Saud in an attempt to finalise a frontier between the new kingdom and Britain's Arabian protectorates, including
Aden colony
Aden Colony ( ar, مستعمرة عدن, ), also the Colony of Aden, was a British Crown colony from 1937 to 1963 located in the south of contemporary Yemen. It consisted of the port of Aden and its immediate surroundings (an area of ).
Pr ...
. The conference proved abortive however and the issue remained unresolved. Aden later gained independence (as South Yemen, later the
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
South Yemen ( ar, اليمن الجنوبي, al-Yaman al-Janubiyy), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (, ), also referred to as Democratic Yemen (, ) or Yemen (Aden) (, ), was a communist state that existed from 1967 to 19 ...
) in 1967, with the border issue still unresolved. In 1969 Saudi Arabia and South Yemen fought the brief
Al-Wadiah War
The al-Wadiah War was a military conflict which broke out on 27 November 1969 between Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of South Yemen after PRSY forces seized the town of al-Wadiah on the PRSY-Saudi Arabian border. The conflict ended on 6 ...
over the remote border town of Al-Wadiah, which ended in Saudi Arabia retaining sovereignty over the town.
It appears that the Treaty of Taif was renewed as scheduled in 1974, though the details of the renewal remained uncertain, largely as Yemen did not wish to be seen to be renouncing its traditional claim to Asir, Jizan and Najran.
Following the unification of Yemen in 1990, the upcoming need to renew the Treaty of Taif, and also the discovery of oil in the border region, prompted the reinstigation of boundary negotiations in 1992.
Negotiations stalled due to the
Yemen Civil War
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and sh ...
in 1994, but were renewed the following year, resulting in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on 26 February 1995.
This re-affirmed the terms of the Taif Treaty and allowed for further discussions over the rest of the border.
In 2000 the
Treaty of Jeddah was signed, which finalised the entire border at its current position.
Border barrier
From 2003 Saudi Arabia began constructing a barrier along the border, citing terrorism concerns.
There have been
numerous clashes along the border following the
Houthi takeover in Yemen
The Houthi takeover in Yemen, also known as the September 21 Revolution (by supporters), or 2014–15 coup d'état (by opponents), was a popular revolution against Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi led by the Houthis and their supporters t ...
, prompting Saudi Arabia to
militarily intervene in Yemen in 2015.
Settlements near the border
Saudi Arabia
*
Muwassam
* Al Hathirah
*
At Tuwal
At Tuwal is a village in Jizan Province, in south-western Saudi Arabia.National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. GeoNames database entry.search Accessed 13 May 2011.
See also
* List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia
* Regions of Saudi Arabia
...
* Hujayrah
* Wa'lan
*
Al Quful
* Ajam
*
Khushaym
* Al Aridah
* As Sayyabah
* Ad Da'ir
* Marwah
* Qaryat al Yahya
* Al Mijazah
* Al Mufajah
*
Najran
Najran ( ar, نجران '), is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated as a new town, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom; its population has risen fr ...
* Al Wuday'ah
Yemen
*
Midi
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...
* Hard Wadi Sulayman
* Al Wuqaysh
* Al Minzalah
* Al Malahit
* Al Hassamah
* Ad Daya'ah
See also
*
Oman–Saudi Arabia border, formally defined in 1990
*
Saudi Arabia–Yemen barrier
*
Saudi Arabia–Yemen relations
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saudi Arabia-Yemen border
Borders of Saudi Arabia
Borders of Yemen
International borders