Saudi Arabia hails positive results of talks with Yemen's Houthi envoys

Saudi Arabia has welcomed positive results from discussions to reach a road map supporting the peace process in Yemen, the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement after Houthi negotiators' talks with the Saudis in Riyadh.

Houthi envoys left Riyadh on Tuesday after a five-day round of talks with Saudi officials on ending the eight-year-old conflict in Yemen, sources familiar with the meeting and Houthi media said.

The kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to promoting dialogue among all warring parties in Yemen, the Saudi Defence Minister said on Wednesday after meeting with the Houthi delegation.

"I emphasised the Kingdom's support for Yemen and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting dialogue among all parties to reach a comprehensive political solution under UN supervision," Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a post on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Some progress has been made on the main sticking points, including a timeline for foreign troops exiting Yemen and a mechanism for paying public wages, two sources told the Reuters news agency, adding the sides would meet for more talks after consultations "soon."

The Houthi delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia last week.

Broader peace process

It was the first such official visit to the kingdom since the war broke out in Yemen in 2014 after the Iran-aligned group ousted a Saudi-backed government there.

The talks are focused on a full reopening of Houthi-controlled ports and Sanaa airport, payment of wages for public servants, rebuilding efforts, and a timeline for foreign forces to quit Yemen.

An agreement would allow the United Nations to restart a broader political peace process.

The Houthis have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80 percent of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid.