Mukalla (South24) 

On Saturday, Rashad Al-Alimi, President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), arrived in Mukalla, the capital of the oil-rich Hadramout province in South Yemen, accompanied by Yemeni officials from Riyadh.

This visit took place despite the Hadramout Inclusive Conference (HIC), a prominent tribal coalition in the province, announcing its opposition on Friday due to the dire living and economic conditions in the region.

A source for South24 Center revealed that PLC member Faraj Al-Bahsani, who also serves as the Deputy Chairman of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), chose not to accompany Al-Alimi. The source cited "a lack of prior coordination regarding the visit's details" as the reason. Al-Bahsani, a former governor of Hadramout, is a significant and influential figure in the province.

While Hadramout Governor Mabkhout bin Madi and other officials welcomed Al-Alimi at Riyan International Airport, citizens expressed their anger by chanting for his departure, as shown in a video recording.

#BREAKING

Chants calling for the departure of PLC Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi from the governorate during his visit to Mukalla, Hadramout#south24 pic.twitter.com/BkQp74CMeE

— South24 | English (@South24E) July 27, 2024

The official Saba news agency reported that Al-Alimi plans to hold meetings with local authorities and military, political, and security leaders "to brief them on the latest developments and enhance government institutions' efforts."

Al-Alimi expressed his happiness to be in Hadramout, stating that he would discuss "ways to support local authorities in meeting their essential commitments to citizens in various fields."

Observers have questioned the visit's timing, speculating a connection to the resumption of oil and gas exports from Hadramout as part of a Saudi deal with the Houthis, who have recently secured significant concessions from the recognized government.

In October and November 2022, the Houthis attacked the oil ports of Dabba in Hadramout and Nashima in Shabwa with drones. The attack on Dabba caused millions of dollars in damages and halted oil exports to this day.

The Houthis demand that salaries for fighters and employees in their controlled areas in northern Yemen be paid from oil and gas revenues, resources concentrated in South Yemen, which the Southern Transitional Council deems a "red line."