Riyadh (South24 Center)

A consultative meeting of South Yemeni leaders began on Sunday, January 18, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, aimed at coordinating and preparing for the Southern Dialogue track sponsored by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

عزف نشيد الجنوب قبيل بدء اللقاء التشاوري الجنوبي في الرياض#قناة_العربية pic.twitter.com/izaKJGethG

— العربية (@AlArabiya) January 18, 2026

The meeting brought together prominent Southern figures, including Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) member Abdulrahman Al-Muharrami and former Prime Minister Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas.

The meeting comes within the framework of what participants described as a “national and historical responsibility toward the cause of the people of the South.”

They emphasized that the meeting reflects a “unified Southern will,” represented by leaders from various provinces and sectors, seeking a “just, safe, and guaranteed solution for the Southern cause,” away from any escalatory paths or attempts to create side conflicts that do not serve the South’s future.

According to the Saudi Al-Arabiya channel, the event featured the playing of the Southern National Anthem and the official display of the Southern flag on the hall’s screen alongside the flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a move described as unprecedented for events held within Saudi territory.

A statement issued by the meeting confirmed that participants sensed a “clear Saudi position aligned with the just demands of the people of the South.”

It noted that the Kingdom supports the “right of the people of the South to find a comprehensive political solution that guarantees their dignity, security, stability, and future, without imposing prior conditions or political ceilings,” ensuring their right to self-determination and the restoration of their fully sovereign state.

The statement added that the upcoming Southern dialogue under Saudi sponsorship “represents a rare historical opportunity that must not be squandered or tampered with through the fabrication of internal Southern disputes or by antagonizing the Kingdom and creating conflict with it out of thin air, which would only serve forces hostile to the Southern cause.”

In statements to Al-Arabiya, Abdulrahman Al-Muharrami said that participants received “assurances of continued support for the Southern forces in maintaining security and at the frontlines,” stressing adherence to what he described as the “covenant in carrying the cause of the people of the South during this critical stage.”

Al-Muharrami explained that “dialogue and the political path are the options for restoring the State of the South,” calling on the international community to support the Southern dialogue track sponsored by Saudi Arabia.

In the same context, the Vice President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Major General Ahmed Said bin Brik, affirmed the same position, saying: “We will not sacrifice the Southern cause, nor the sacrifices of the heroic fallen, the wounded, and the bereaved, no matter the challenges.”

For his part, Fadi Baoum considered that the consultative meeting, which paves the way for the Saudi-brokered Southern dialogue, opens horizons for a “responsible and serious dialogue that serves the future of the South.”

The statement issued by the meeting indicated that participants received direct assurances from officials in the Kingdom regarding “continued support for the Southern forces responsible for protecting the South and its security, which are present on the battlefronts, including the full payment of their entitlements and the enhancement of their capabilities to protect Southern national achievements and consolidate stability.”

The statement also emphasized that support for the economy and development represents “one of the pillars of the future partnership between the South and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” and that what is happening today constitutes “a true beginning for a strategic future based on security, stability, and development.”

In this context, participants stressed their rejection of “attempts to cast doubt on the Kingdom’s role or campaigns targeting Southern military and security forces,” primarily the Giants Forces, National Shield Forces, Shabwa Defense Forces, Security Belt, and Hadrami Elite, considering them “an integral part of the system protecting the South and its security.”

Southern female activists who spoke to South24 criticized the absence of Southern women from participating in this consultative meeting, calling for their active inclusion in all dialogue tracks.

This meeting comes at a time when questions remain regarding the whereabouts of the President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, amid conflicting reports since his absence from the public scene on January 8.

Al-Zubaidi had appeared in recent days by issuing a call for a mass rally in Aden last Friday (January 16), attended by tens of thousands, as well as an obituary for former Southern President Ali Salem al-Bidh, his first public stances since January 8.

The ongoing consultative meeting in Riyadh is viewed as a preparatory station in the Southern dialogue track, amid anticipation of subsequent steps in the coming period. The Saudi moves toward the Southern cause follow the exit of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the Yemen file and the reaching of unprecedented levels of disagreement between the two parties.