What are Saudi Arabia’s plans in southern Yemen?

Inside StorySaudi Arabia says it will soon host a dialogue between Yemen’s main players.For almost a decade, the Southern Transitional Council has been the main player in southern Yemen while the country reeled from division and civil strife.But in a matter of hours, the separatists lost control of all the territory they had previously held.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Yemeni southern separatists in Riyadh announce disputed disbanding of STClist 2 of 3Yemen’s southern separatists disband amid Riyadh talkslist 3 of 3Dissolution of Yemen’s separatists was “only a matter of time”end of listThe developments followed a military intervention by Saudi Arabia to stop what it called a threat to its national security.Earlier this week, in a statement issued in Riyadh, the STC announced the movement’s dissolution.Saudi Arabia is now planning a conference of the main political factions to shape the future of the south.Will the outcome serve its long-term goals in Yemen?Presenter: James BaysGuests:Khaled Batarfi – Political analystFarea Al Muslimi – Research fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa programmeMatthew Bryza – Adviser to the Southern Transitional Council and a former US ambassadorPublished On 10 Jan 2026