The complaint, in the form of a verbal memorandum dated March 18, 2024, is directed to the Secretary-General from the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations.

The Saudi complaint to the United Nations concerns the Emirati decree of 2019 declaring the Yasat area a protected maritime zone.

Details of the Saudi complaint against the UAE

According to the complaint posted on the United Nations website, the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirmed its rejection of this declaration, stating that it does not recognize it, nor does it acknowledge any legal consequences thereof.

The Saudi complaint against the UAE also asserts the Kingdom’s adherence to all its rights and interests according to the agreement concluded between the two countries in 1974, which binds them according to international law.

Therefore, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not recognize any measures or practices taken, or their legal implications, by the UAE government in the area off the Saudi coast known as the “Yasat” area, including the Kingdom’s territorial waters and the area of joint sovereignty, including the two Makasib islands.

Saudi Arabia demanded the UAE to complete the implementation of Article 5 of the agreement delineating the land and maritime borders between the two countries, dated 1974.

The Saudi memorandum is considered official, and Saudi Arabia requested the United Nations to circulate it to its members according to standard procedures.

قدمت #السعودية شكوى لدى الأمم المتحدة ضد #الامارات بشأن اعلان #ابوظبي لمنطقة #الياسات منطقة بحرية محمية.

وقالت السعودية في المذكرة ان الإعلان الإماراتي لا يعتد به ولا يعترف به ولا يعترف باى اثر قانوني له. pic.twitter.com/331Kvaf7tP

— الخازوق (@khazuq) April 14, 2024

What is the Yasat area, the subject of dispute between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi?

The UAE considers the Yasat area to be under Emirati maritime protection.

The official Emirati news agency, WAM, previously indicated that it was established by an Emiri decree in 2005, based on directives from the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE.

It is a site known for its environmental importance, providing sensitive habitats including coral reefs, marine grasses, and sandy beaches, in addition to its historical and cultural significance.

The Office of the President, at the time Khalifa bin Zayed, after the issuance of Emiri Decree No. 33 of 2005, declared the Yasat area a marine protected area by establishing the first artificial reef around the Yasat Island for coral cultivation and the collection of various fish species to revive the depths of the sea.

While Saudi Arabia does not recognize the area’s belonging to the UAE and a border dispute has existed for many years, considering it a zone of joint sovereignty.

Saudi Arabia rejects all measures and practices taken by the UAE government in the area off the Saudi coast known as the “Yasat” area, including the Kingdom’s territorial waters and the area of joint sovereignty.