The key facts

  • The talks took place on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue 2026
  • Bilateral ties, countering the Houthis, and the humanitarian situation in Taiz were discussed
  • Doughty confirmed the UK's support for the Yemeni government

Talks in Manama

Yemen's Foreign Minister Afra al-Zuba held talks with the UK Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Stephen Doughty, on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue 2026, Anadolu reports, citing a statement by Yemen's Foreign Ministry. The meeting took place on Sunday and was devoted to recent developments in Yemen.

Topics of discussion

According to Yemen's Foreign Ministry, the sides discussed bilateral relations and efforts to counter the Houthis, as well as the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Taiz in southwestern Yemen, which remains under the Houthi-imposed siege. Doughty confirmed that the United Kingdom will continue to support the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

Conflict context

Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, leading to the start in March 2015 of a military intervention led by Saudi Arabia in support of the internationally recognized government. According to the agency, the conflict has become one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions of people dependent on humanitarian aid.