Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Yemen: Saudi Arabia to release 163 Houthi prisoners

Yemen: Saudi Arabia to release 163 Houthi prisoners

Saudi officials say the move is aimed at solidifying a two-month truce that went into effect in early April.

The Saudi Arabian-led coalition fighting in Yemen has said it would release 163 prisoners from Yemen’s Houthi rebel group who fought against the kingdom, as part of a humanitarian initiative.

The coalition had already begun taking measures to release the prisoners in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the coalition spokesman General Turki al-Malki said in a statement carried by Saudi state news agency SPA.

Al-Malki said the move aimed to support United Nations efforts to solidify a two-month truce that went into effect on April 2, “prepare the atmosphere for dialogue between the Yemeni sides and facilitate closing the prisoners and detainees file”.

Earlier on Thursday, UN special envoy Hans Grundberg wrote on Twitter that the parties have reiterated their commitment to upholding the nationwide truce, the most significant step in years towards ending the seven-year conflict.

The warring parties had also been discussing a possible prisoner swap under UN auspices, which a Houthi official said last month could free 1,400 Houthi prisoners in return for 823 coalition prisoners, including 16 Saudis and three Sudanese.

Last week, the official, Abdul Qader al-Murtada, head of the Houthi’s prisoner affairs committee, said the group made a new offer to the UN that includes freeing 200 prisoners from each side before the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday starting next week.

The last major prisoner exchange, involving approximately 1,000 detainees, took place in 2020 as part of confidence-building steps agreed at the last peace talks held in 2018.

The coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to support the internationally recognised government after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa.

The war has killed tens of thousands, devastated the economy and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The truce deal also included allowing fuel imports into Houthi-held areas and the operation of some flights from Sanaa airport.

The flights have yet to start, with the Saudi-backed authorities insisting all passengers carry government-issued passports.

“We are working tirelessly to help them [the parties] identify solutions to resume flights from Sanaa,” Grundberg said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×