Aden (South24 Center)

Leaked documents detailing estimated expenditures for Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and its affiliated bodies for 2026 have sparked widespread debate on social media, coinciding with a separate controversy over honey purchases allegedly linked to the Presidency. The discussions have fueled growing criticism of public spending priorities amid a severe economic and services crisis in areas controlled by the internationally recognized government.

According to documents reviewed by South24 Center, the estimated budget for the PLC and its affiliated bodies for 2026 amounts to approximately YER 138.41 billion (about $89.3 million), based on the exchange rate in Aden of YER 1,550 to the US dollar.

The documents show that estimated expenditures for the office of PLC Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi amount to YER 31.89 billion (about $20.6 million), while the offices of the council’s seven members are allocated YER 47.01 billion (about $30.3 million).

The documents also include allocations of YER 10.70 billion (about $6.9 million) for the Presidency Office in Aden and YER 5.11 billion (about $3.3 million) for the Presidency Office in Riyadh. In addition, YER 8.76 billion (about $5.65 million) is earmarked for the General Secretariat of the Presidency.

Another category, listed as “Bodies Supporting the Council” under non-classified expenditures, totals YER 23.23 billion (about $15 million). The allocations include YER 7.2 billion (about $4.6 million) for the Consultation and Reconciliation Commission, YER 6.07 billion (about $3.9 million) for the Military Committee, and YER 2.48 billion (about $1.6 million) for the Economic Team.

The estimates further allocate YER 1.2 billion (about $774,000) for the Legal Team, YER 780 million (about $503,000) for the Media Team, YER 246 million (about $159,000) for the Decision Support Center, and YER 90 million (about $58,000) for the Documentation Center.

The documents also show an allocation of YER 11.7 billion (about $7.55 million) under a category designated for wounded personnel, as part of the total annual expenditures associated with the PLC and its affiliated bodies.

The circulation of these figures coincided with another issue that generated widespread public anger after a document surfaced claiming to contain a directive attributed to PLC Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi authorizing the payment of more than SAR 923,000 to a commercial establishment in Riyadh for the purchase of quantities of honey. The amount is equivalent to approximately $246,000, or about YER 378.4 million, based on the exchange rate in Aden of YER 410 to the Saudi riyal.

South24 Center obtained exclusive photographs showing boxes and packages of honey bearing the label “Presidency of the Republic”. According to an informed source, the products are linked to the purchases referenced in the circulated document.

However, South24 was unable to independently verify the full supply chain or determine the entity that ultimately financed the purchases.

In response, Yemen’s Ministry of Finance in Aden denied approving any budget allocation for the Presidency Office within the state’s 2026 general budget. The ministry said that reports claiming a budget had been approved for the Presidency and its supporting bodies were baseless.

These developments come months after the Yemeni government announced the approval of the 2026 draft state budget, describing it as the first such budget adopted in years. The government said the budget was intended to strengthen fiscal discipline and fund salaries, essential services, and social protection programs.

Apart from the denials issued by the Presidency and the Ministry of Finance, no detailed clarification has yet been provided through the publication of official financial documents or an explanation of the nature of the circulated figures. It remains unclear whether the documents represent preliminary proposals submitted to the Ministry of Finance, internal estimates that were never approved, or budget items later excluded from the final version adopted by the government.