Residents of Yemen's port city of Aden said they did not feel any shaking during the time the quake occurred.
Due to civil unrest in nearby Somalia, there were no immediate reports that the earthquake had caused any injuries or damage in that country.
The quake struck at 11:30 a.m. local time about 150 miles (240 km) to the west of the Yemeni island of Socotra and 200 miles (325 km) north of Xaafuun on the Somali coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center briefly issued a warning that there was "a very small possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than 60 miles (100 km) from the earthquake's epicenter."