RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has welcomed a request from Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, to host a comprehensive conference in Riyadh bringing together all southern Yemeni political components to address the "just southern cause" through dialogue. In a statement, the Kingdom said the move aligns with its long-standing position that the southern issue is a legitimate political matter with historical and social dimensions, and that it can only be resolved through dialogue within a comprehensive political settlement in Yemen. Saudi Arabia affirmed its readiness to host and sponsor the conference, calling on all southern Yemeni factions to participate constructively in order to develop an inclusive and sustainable vision that reflects the legitimate aspirations of the people of southern governorates. The initiative follows a formal request submitted by Al-Alimi to Saudi Arabia, citing the Kingdom's pivotal role in supporting Yemen's security, stability, and political consensus-building efforts. A senior Yemeni presidential source said Al-Alimi has closely followed appeals from southern political forces and community figures calling for the protection of the southern issue from unilateral actions or exclusionary approaches that do not reflect the diversity of the south or the aspirations of all its people. The source reaffirmed that the southern issue remains a central pillar in building a modern Yemeni state, stressing that it cannot be monopolized by any single party or addressed through unilateral measures or claims of exclusive representation. According to the statement, any lasting solution must emerge from a collective national will and an inclusive dialogue process grounded in agreed national, regional, and international frameworks, including the outcomes of Yemen's National Dialogue Conference, the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism, the Riyadh Agreement, GCC-sponsored Yemeni consultations, the Declaration of Transfer of Power, and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Al-Alimi also emphasized the state's commitment to protecting civil peace, rejecting the imposition of political realities through force, and safeguarding citizens' rights, security, and stability. He reiterated Yemen's openness to all institutional and peaceful initiatives that contribute to a fair and comprehensive resolution of the southern issue. The presidential source said the request to Saudi Arabia was made in response to appeals from southern constituencies, expressing hope that the Riyadh-hosted conference would include all southern political forces and figures — including the Southern Transitional Council — without exclusion, ensuring pluralistic representation and preventing a return to past grievances. Meanwhile, southern political groups issued a statement rejecting what they described as unilateral actions by Aidarus al-Zubaidi, accusing him of attempting to impose exclusive representation of the south and advancing agendas that have harmed southern unity and the broader cause. The groups called for an inclusive dialogue conference under Saudi sponsorship to reach a comprehensive and just framework for resolving the southern issue in a way that guarantees peaceful coexistence, political participation, and sustainable development across southern governorates.
