NYN | News
Saudi diplomatic activity regarding the Yemeni file continues in a scene observers describe as an attempt to “escape forward” and rebrand itself as a “peace mediator,” despite being one of the main parties to the war that has been ongoing for more than ten years.
In the complete absence of any official Yemeni representation, Saudi Ambassador to the Presidential Leadership Council Mohammed Al Jaber announced a meeting with European Union ambassadors at the EU headquarters in Riyadh to discuss what he called “joint efforts to support the Yemeni government and advance the peace process.”
These repeated meetings—held outside Yemeni territory and without the involvement of Yemenis themselves—have sparked astonishment and criticism from observers who see the Saudi ambassador as acting like the de facto ruler of Yemen, in clear overreach of the roles typically assigned to internationally recognized diplomatic missions.
In parallel, Al Jaber had received a Danish parliamentary delegation yesterday to discuss the kingdom’s political and economic efforts in support of the peace process. He again spoke about the projects of the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction, asserting that they have contributed to supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government and improving services.
However, critics view such statements as part of a new Saudi narrative in which Riyadh attempts to portray itself as a force “supporting stability and development,” ignoring the catastrophic humanitarian and economic consequences of the war it led—consequences that continue to deepen to this day.
Observers affirm that any talk of Saudi mediation lacks neutrality and credibility unless it is built on a clear acknowledgment of the kingdom’s role in the conflict, and unless Yemenis themselves are ensured to be the primary party in any dialogue about the future of their country.
