Riyadh’s Losing Strategy

Why is Saudi Arabia destined to lose its war in Yemen? Despite spending hundreds of billions of dollars on advanced weaponry and receiving extensive military and intelligence support from Western and regional allies, the Saudi regime has failed to defeat the Yemeni forces aligned with the government in Sana’a. This program examines the structural weaknesses of the Saudi military, the fragmentation of its local allies, and Riyadh’s inability to build a convincing ideological justification for its intervention. Meanwhile, Ansarullah and the Yemeni armed forces have strengthened their military capabilities, developed advanced missile and drone systems, expanded their intelligence capacity, and maintained substantial popular support. The program also explores Saudi Arabia’s economic vulnerability, particularly its dependence on oil exports and its exposure to attacks on critical energy infrastructure. With no clear path to military victory and limited prospects for a decisive foreign intervention, Riyadh faces a strategic dilemma: accept concessions or become trapped in a prolonged war of attrition that could ultimately undermine the stability of the Saudi monarchy.