Former Yemeni president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi passes away at 81

Former Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi died on Thursday in Riyadh at the age of 81, according to Yemeni and Arab media reports. Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia after the Houthi militia seized the capital Sanaa

Hadi had been living in the Saudi capital since the Iran aligned Houthis overran Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognised government during Yemen’s conflict. He served as president of Yemen for several years before announcing in 2022 the transfer of his powers to the Presidential Leadership Council as part of efforts to restructure the anti-Houthi camp and revive peace efforts.

Hadi became president in 2012 after the resignation of long-time ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh during the so-called Arab Spring uprising. Before that, he served as Yemen’s vice president from 1994 to 2012.

Yemen has remained mired in conflict for more than a decade, with the war triggering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.