Saudi Arabia denies Houthis demanded $51bn to halt hostilities

Saudi Arabia has rejected a report claiming Yemen’s Houthi rebels demanded $51 billion from the kingdom in exchange for a negotiated halt to hostilities between the two sides.

The US-based Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that Riyadh had approached the Houthis to discuss ending the conflict. The group allegedly demanded $51 billion and official recognition as Yemen’s rulers.

Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Rayed Krimly categorically denied the reported demands, describing the claims as “pure fabrication” by the writers or their alleged sources in a post on X.

Krimly accused the Houthis of turning against Yemen’s government, causing famine and dragging the country into conflicts. He also accused the group of attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea, civilian and economic targets, and rejecting peace efforts.

He stressed that Yemen has a recognised government.

The report and Saudi denial come amid renewed hostilities between Riyadh and the Houthis, linked to the wider Middle East conflict.

The war erupted on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes across the region.

Hostilities in Yemen resumed in July after the Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in defiance of Saudi control of Yemeni airspace. Subsequent exchanges, including Saudi strikes on an airport, unravelled a 2022 truce.