Yemeni president and Saudi Defence Minister meet in Riyadh

Rashad Al Alimi and Prince Khalid bin Salman discuss revival of political peace in Yemen

Yemen's PLC head Rashad Al Alimi, right, with Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in Riyadh. SPA

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief Rashad Al Alimi met Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman on Thursday, a day after the PLC's eight-member team gathered in Riyadh.

In a tweet, Prince Khalid said he conveyed King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's wish for "stability and security" in Yemen.

"During the meeting, we reviewed our strong and brotherly relations and reaffirmed the kingdom's continued support for Yemen and the PLC in a way that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people and help bring an end to the crisis and achieve a comprehensive political solution," Prince Khalid said on Twitter.

The PLC's seven other members — Aidaroos Al Zubaidi, Sultan Al Arada, Tareq Saleh, Abdul Rahman Al Mahrami, Abdullah Al Alimi, Othman Majali and Faraj Al Bahsani — were also at the meeting, Yemen's state news agency Saba reported.

Mr Al Alimi and Prince Khalid discussed the revival of the UN-led peace process, after a truce broke down in October.

Yemen has not returned to an all-out state of war with the Houthis despite several escalations from the Houthi side through attacks on oil ports. This resulted in the halting of oil exports, a major source of revenue and foreign currency for the government in Yemen.

In March, Yemen's warring sides agreed on a prisoner swap of more than 800 inmates, which is expected to take place next Tuesday.