Sanaa surprises its rivals with message from Riyadh after Saudi Arabia expels Yemeni figure
SANAA, Sept. 01 (YPA) – A member of Ansarullah’s Political Bureau in Sanaa, Mohammed Al-Farah, commented on Saudi authorities’ expulsion of prominent figure Kamel Al-Khoudani, a senior member of forces affiliated with Saudi-backed Tariq Saleh, from Saudi Arabia over his criticism of officials aligned with Riyadh.
Al-Farah described the move as an affront to Yemeni dignity and delivered a political message that he said transcends the boundaries of the war and Yemen’s internal divisions.
In a post on X, Al-Farah said: “It pains us deeply to see any Yemeni subjected to humiliation by the Saudi enemy, and it hurts us even when that person is among our fiercest opponents. Unfortunately, you deserve it because you cannot distinguish between advice from an enemy and brotherhood from afar.”
He added: “In short, the Saudis do not love you. The Saudis hate you, and they hate every Yemeni. We saw the extent of their hatred when they even bombed the blind.”
Addressing figures aligned with Riyadh, Al-Farah said: “What is happening in terms of courting, mobilization and distributing money is merely an exploitation of you to enable them to occupy your land. In the end, they will expel you like dogs and kill anyone who rebels against them.”
The Ansar Allah official continued: “If they treat their most loyal proxies this way while they desperately need them and they are at the heart of the battle, how will they treat them once they no longer need them? So thank God for Sanaa and thank Him for providing you with someone who raises the head of every Yemeni; otherwise, you would have been forgotten.”
He concluded: “They are now giving you crumbs because Sanaa exists and stands firm. Even the livelihoods they provide you with are thanks to Sanaa and its steadfastness.”
Al-Farah’s remarks came after Kamel Al-Khoudani, a prominent media figure affiliated with Tariq Saleh’s forces based in Mocha, announced that he had left the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after Saudi authorities asked him to leave the country. He made the announcement himself before later deleting the post.
Al-Khoudani had criticized Rashad Al-Alimi, head of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, and attacked Saudi-backed Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani over what he described as attempts to marginalize the UAE-backed faction of the General People’s Congress abroad.
His criticism of Saudi Arabia went as far as accusing it of wanting “slaves, not men,” opening the door to new political and media repercussions among Yemeni figures aligned with the camp opposed to Ansar Allah and the Saudi authorities.
Ultimately, the Al-Khoudani incident highlights a striking contradiction in Yemen’s political landscape. Despite its deep political and military dispute with its rivals, Sanaa is portraying itself as drawing a distinction between political confrontation and Yemeni dignity, arguing that the humiliation or expulsion of any Yemeni by Saudi Arabia should not be a matter for celebration, but rather an occasion to emphasize that national dignity takes precedence over external alignments.
Through its reaction, Sanaa has presented itself as extending a political message to its Yemeni rivals, urging them to reconsider their reliance on external powers and to approach Yemen’s internal disputes as issues that can be resolved away from foreign dependency.