Saudi Arabia Welcomes Positive Results of Discussions Supporting the Peace Track in Yemen

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement today, Wednesday, that the Kingdom welcomes "the positive results of serious discussions regarding the development of a roadmap to support the peace process in Yemen." This follows talks held between Houthi negotiators and Saudi officials in Riyadh. The Houthi negotiators left Riyadh yesterday, Tuesday, after a five-day round of discussions with Saudi officials regarding a potential agreement that could pave the way for ending the eight-year conflict in Yemen. The Saudi Minister of Defense, after meeting with the Houthi delegation, reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing dialogue among all parties in Yemen. Prince Khalid bin سلمان wrote on his X social media account: "During my meeting with the delegation, I confirmed the Kingdom's support for Yemen and its brotherly people, and its keenness to encourage Yemeni parties to sit at the negotiating table to reach a comprehensive and lasting political solution in Yemen under the auspices of the United Nations." Two sources indicated that some progress had been made on key contentious points, including the timeline for the exit of foreign forces from the country and the mechanism for paying public sector salaries. The Houthi delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia last week. This marks the first official visit of its kind to the Kingdom since the outbreak of the war in Yemen in 2014, after the Iran-aligned group forced the Saudi-backed government of Yemen to flee the capital, Sanaa. The discussions focused on the reopening of the ports controlled by the Houthis and Sanaa Airport fully, paying public salaries, reconstruction efforts, and determining a timeline for the departure of foreign forces from Yemen. The Houthis have been engaged in a war against a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia since 2015, a conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and left 80 percent of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid.