Saudi and Omani Representatives to Discuss Lasting Ceasefire in Yemen

A lasting ceasefire in Yemen would be a major breakthrough for stabilizing the Middle East. If an agreement is reached, the parties could announce it before the Eid al-Fitr holidays, which begin on April 20.

Talks Focus on Reopening Ports and Airports, Salary Payments, and Political Transition

The talks between the parties focus on the full reopening of Yemeni ports and airports, salary payments for civil servants, a reconstruction process, and a political transition. Saudi Arabia resumed direct talks with the Houthis last summer following the failure to renew a truce agreement negotiated by the United Nations.

The United Nations hopes to revive a peaceful political process that would lead to a transitional unity government if a ceasefire agreement is reached. The UN special envoy, Hans Grundberg, met with Omani and Houthi officials in Muscat this week to discuss ways to advance an inclusive Yemen-led political process.

China Steps in to Improve Relations Between Saudi Arabia and Iran

After years of rivalry and armed conflicts between Saudi Arabia and Iran, China, their main trading partner, recently stepped in to work with both parties and improve relations. Beijing, concerned about stability in a region that covers the majority of its crude oil needs, recently facilitated an agreement between Riyadh and Tehran to restore diplomatic relations.

Easing Restrictions on Imports to Yemen

In a sign of progress in Yemeni peace efforts, the Saudi-led coalition lifted eight-year restrictions on direct imports to southern Yemeni ports, allowing commercial ships to dock directly, including in Aden. This follows the easing of restrictions in February on commercial goods entering the Houthi-held western port of Hodeidah, the country’s main seaport.

Abu Bakr Abeed, vice president of Yemen’s chambers of commerce, said ships would no longer have to stop at the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah for security checks for the first time since the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention in Yemen in 2015.

Abeed added that over 500 types of goods would be allowed into Yemen through southern ports, including fertilizers and batteries, after being removed from a list of banned products. Since 2015, the Saudi-led coalition has imposed severe restrictions on the entry of goods into Yemen, where the war has devastated the economy, contributing to what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.