NYN | News
Aidaroos Al-Zubaidi, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, sparked a wave of mockery among social media users after claiming in a televised interview that residents of Taiz and Marib are crowding at the gates of the so-called “Arab South”, eager to join it — as if they were applying for immigration to Switzerland.
Al-Zubaidi, who seemingly discovered a new map of Yemen in one of the drawers at the Southern Transitional Council (STC), stated that there are “popular demands” in the North to merge with the South — without clarifying whether these demands came through an official referendum or anonymous WhatsApp messages.
In his interview with Al-Hurra TV yesterday, Al-Zubaidi spoke about the possibility of “studying” these demands, as though the matter were about processing applications for a sports club membership. He added that governance in these areas could be autonomous or take “some other form,” prompting sarcastic speculation that the next system of rule might be decided by lottery or a game of Monopoly.
He further noted that the upcoming state will not be called Yemen, but rather “The Arab South” — a move that some described as an attempt to erase history and geography with a marker pen.
Social media users seized the moment. Some asked sarcastically: Will the Arab South now include Marib and Taiz, or will it soon reach Sanaa? Others suggested that membership cards be issued for the Arab South, along with a welcome gift — perhaps an Emirati lantern.
At the end of the interview, Al-Zubaidi confirmed that the envisioned state would be federal, allowing each governorate to manage its own affairs. One user joked: All that’s left is to open embassies between Aden and Taiz, and announce a special visa for citizens of the Arab South.
