DUBAI: The leader of Yemen’s separatists is heading to Riyadh on Tuesday for talks, a Yemeni official said, after days of fighting between his pro-Saudi rivals.

The Saudi-organised talks indicate the beginning of de-escalation efforts after the clashes in Yemen’s government-run areas that exposed a rift in Gulf power, Saudi Arabia.

“A large delegation headed by the president of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidaros Alzubidi, will travel to Riyadh this evening at the official invitation of Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman,” the STC official said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Alzubidi will also “discuss the southern dialogue sponsored by Riyadh”, the official said.

Tourists stranded on island to leave today

Saudi Arabia had called for talks between the Yemeni factions in Riyadh at the request of Yemen’s government, with both camps agreeing to take part.

In December, the separatists seized large swathes of territory, including much of Hadramawt province bordering Saudi Arabia, expelling Saudi-backed government forces.

But last week, air strikes from a Saudi-led coalition and a counter-offensive on the ground pushed back the separatists.

The Saudis and Emiratis, both wealthy oil-producers and neighbours, have long supported rival factions in Yemen’s fractious government, which is based in the country’s south.

They had initially joined forces in the Saudi-led military coalition against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who forced out the government in 2014 and seized much of the country’s north.

Gunfire near Yemen’s Aden

Gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the Al-Maashiq presidential palace in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, witnesses said on Tuesday.

Security sources said anti-aircraft guns were activated to target unidentified drones in the airspace over the palace.

No further information was immediately available.

Aden, along with areas near the port city, is currently controlled by the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). The leader of the STC had been residing in the palace, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

Tuesday’s developments come amid efforts to end a conflict between the separatists and Yemen’s Saudi-backed internationally recognised government, which erupted last month.

The conflict has triggered a major feud between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, fracturing a coalition created to fight the Iran-aligned Houthis, who are still the dominant military force in Yemen.

The Houthis seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, and Gulf countries intervened the following year in support of the internationally recognised government, splitting Yemen into rival zones of control.

Aden has been the main seat of power outside Houthi-controlled areas since 2015, but leaders of the internationally recognised government left the city for Saudi Arabia early last month when the Southern Transitional Council seized control.

Government forces backed by Saudi airstrikes on Friday and Saturday took back control of the strategically important Hadramout and Mahra provinces in the east of Yemen.

Tourists stranded in Yemen

More than 400 tourists stranded on a Yemeni island after flights were halted due to fighting on the mainland will be able to fly out starting on Wednesday, a Yemeni airport official said.

Over the past few days, flights in and out of Yemen had been largely restricted following a flare-up of violence between rival armed factions loosely grouped under the government but separately backed by Saudi Arabia.

An official at the airport on the island of Socotra said on Tuesday that the 416 stranded tourists would be able to leave from Wednesday via Yemenia Airways flights to Aden, then on to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The airport in Aden on the mainland has been functional since Sunday after disruptions that lasted for several days.

The stranded tourists had arrived from the UAE’s Abu Dhabi airport via Air Arabia, an Emirati airline.

“But the Yemeni and Saudi governments have prohibited direct flights from the UAE to Yemen, including those bound for Socotra” after the Saudi-backed groups clashed over territory, the official said.

The tourists include at least 60 Russians, he said, with a Western diplomat, other nationalities were present, including French, British, and American citizens.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Russian embassy to Yemen shared details for a $700 Yemenia Airways flight from Socotra to Jeddah scheduled for Wednesday.

More flights on the same route are planned later, but for now, there is no precise information”, it added.

With its lush landscape, distinctive “dragon blood” trees, unique animals, and turquoise waters, Yemen’s Socotra archipelago has been a magnet for adventurous travellers for years.

Many set off from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces that control the islands.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2026