Saudi Arabia seeks to reassert control in Southern Yemen through Riyadh talks

Saudi Arabia on Saturday invited “all southern factions” of Yemen to attend dialogue talks in Riyadh, seeking to halt escalating clashes between southern separatists and other members of the internationally backed coalition.

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said the conference aims to find “fair solutions” that would meet what it called the “legitimate aspirations of the southern people.” Riyadh stressed that the invitation was issued at the request of the Yemeni government.

The call for dialogue follows deadly Saudi airstrikes against the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed group that has expanded its control over large parts of southern Yemen in recent weeks. 

The STC reported at least 20 deaths from Saudi raids on Friday, marking the first direct Saudi-inflicted casualties since the group’s latest territorial gains.

On Friday, the STC announced a two-year roadmap toward establishing an independent southern state, openly challenging Riyadh’s authority and its vision for Yemen’s future. 

The separatists currently control strategic and oil-rich areas, including parts of Hadramout and Mahra, near the Saudi border.

The separatist advance has heightened tensions within the coalition and strained relations between Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates, which backs the STC. Earlier this week, Saudi-led coalition forces struck what they described as a suspected UAE arms shipment at a southern Yemeni port.

While Saudi Arabia presents the Riyadh talks as an inclusive political initiative, analysts see the move as an effort to reassert its dominance over southern Yemen and curb rival influence, particularly as the broader conflict with the Houthi movement, who control Sanaa, remains largely frozen under a fragile truce reached in 2022.