Houthi Delegation Returns from Riyadh with No Declared Agreement
The Ansar Allah (Houthi) delegation left Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, ending their five-day visit to the kingdom, with no declared agreement between the two sides.
Informed sources indicated the talks resulted in progress on key sticking points, including the timetable for the exit of foreign forces from Yemen and the salaries payment mechanism, adding that the two sides would meet for further talks “soon.”
Accompanied by an Omani delegation, the Houthi officials flew to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, marking their first public visit to the kingdom since their 2014 takeover of Sanaa and 2015 ouster of the UN-recognized government.
Ali Al-Qahoom, a member of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, confirmed the return of the Houthi delegation from Riyadh, saying, “Our delegation returned with the Omani mediators to the capital, Sana’a, to consult with the leadership and inform it of the results of the negotiations.”
According to Al-Qahoom, the five-day Houthi-Saudi negotiations were characterized by seriousness, positivity, and optimism, and they overcame the complications in the humanitarian files, disbursing salaries, and priority humanitarian programs.
On Monday, September 18, informed sources close to the Houthi group told Sheba Intelligence that the Houthi group agreed to Saudi demands to create a demilitarized buffer zone along the Yemen-Saudi border, and the buffer is twenty kilometers deep.
The sources indicated that the Houthis requested a large sum of money from Riyadh in exchange for passing this agreement, expressing their willingness to prevent and fight the smuggling of weapons, drugs, and qat from Yemen and not to harbor wanted persons.
The sources also said the Houthis expressed approval for any Saudi military and security measures taken, including the use of military planes in the event of a serious threat inside the buffer zone, such as smuggling weapons and drugs.
Yemeni political observers say the Houthi group is willing to offer concession in favor of Saudi Arabia as long as the kingdom is ready to recognize their authority and stop its military involvement in Yemen.
