Saudi envoy to Yemen arrives in interim capital Aden

By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA (AA) - Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen has arrived in Aden, the first foreign ambassador to visit the city -- which now serves as Yemen’s interim capital -- in two and a half years, according to a Yemeni government source.

“Mohammed al-Jaber has arrived at Aden’s international airport en route from Saudi capital Riyadh,” the source told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.

Speaking anonymously due to restrictions on talking to media, the source said al-Jaber planned to meet several Yemeni government officials, including Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr.

Saudi state television channel Al Ekhbariya confirmed the diplomat’s arrival to Aden without providing any additional details.

Al-Jaber is the first foreign ambassador to visit Aden since the city’s recapture from the Shia Houthi militia group in 2015.

One day before al-Jaber’s arrival, Riyadh announced it had made a $2-billion deposit in Yemen’s central bank with the stated aim of shoring up the embattled Yemeni riyal, which has lost more than half of its value since early 2015.

Yemen has been dogged by chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing the Saudi-backed government to set up an interim capital in the city of Aden.

One year later, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Houthis of serving as an Iranian proxy -- launched a massive military campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back the Houthis’ territorial gains.