The Interior Ministry of Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that it will begin legalizing the residency of migrants from Yemen, in response to a request from the internationally recognized and Saudi-supported government of Yemen, known as the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC).
The Interior Ministry said the legalization process was requested by PLC leader Rashad al-Alimi and directly ordered by the kingdom’s ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz. The ministries of Human Resources and Data and Artificial Intelligence will also be involved in the initiative.
Since the offer of legalization is only available to Yemenis with a valid passport, the General Directorate of Passports will also be involved, and will announce the official launch of the program when it begins. The legalization plan will be a significant undertaking, as roughly 1.8 million Yemenis are currently living in Saudi Arabia.
Houthi supporters hold a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, July 17, 2026, against the Saudi-led coalition. Banner in Arabic reads, “All Saudi oil facilities are targets to our missiles and drones.” (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
Alimi on Monday announced the beginning of “Operation Yemen Dawn,” an all-out offensive to drive Iran-backed Houthi insurgents out of strategic coastal cities and the capital of Sanaa, which the Houthis seized in 2014.
Saudi Arabia undertook a similar program of legalizing migrants from Yemen when the kingdom led a regional coalition to intervene in the Yemeni civil war in 2015. That intervention was ultimately unsuccessful in changing the status quo and Saudi Arabia agreed to an uneasy ceasefire with the Houthis in 2022, only for hostilities to resume a few months ago.
PLC officials hailed Saudi Arabia’s new legalization initiative as “generous” and gave “deep thanks and appreciation to the kingdom and its leadership for this fraternal and humanitarian gesture.”
A protester holds posters of Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a march to protest Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia in Taiz, Yemen, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
Yemenis living informally in Saudi Arabia were delighted with the news, welcoming both the practical benefits and the symbolism of Riyadh’s support for their cause.
“Believe me, this is the moment thousands of Yemenis have been waiting for. This is truly a generous gesture from the king toward the people of Yemen; one that comes as no surprise. We highly appreciate the Kingdom’s support for Yemenis at all levels,” Yemeni businessman Mutaher Alazmi told Arab News on Tuesday.
“King Salman has consistently supported the Yemeni people in overcoming their difficulties. The Kingdom’s leadership has stood by Yemen over the years, and this latest initiative is a continuation of that support,” said Haider al-Sanea, a Yemeni national who has lived in the Saudi capital of Riyadh for 35 years.
“This royal directive shows that the Kingdom cares about its Yemeni brothers. Thanks to everyone — the king, the royal family and the people of the Kingdom,” said Mohammed Abdulrahman, a Yemeni resident of Jeddah.
Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia meets with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins)
The Saudi government last week announced a new grant, worth about $60 million, to support the PLC and stabilize its finances. Saudi Arabia has contributed over $12.6 billion to the Yemeni government since 2012, spread over some 300 development projects and initiatives.
The Yemeni government’s “Homeland Shield Forces,” a militia group aligned with the PLC, announced on Tuesday it has begun a large-scale operation as part of the “Dawn of Yemen” campaign to eject the Houthis from the al-Waziah district of Taiz governorate, a region that has been hotly contested since early in the civil war. The Houthis claimed that a high-ranking commander in the government’s armored forces has been killed during this operation.
The Saudi coalition said on Tuesday that it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at the city of Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia. The League of Arab States condemned other Houthi attacks targeting Saudi civilian airports, denouncing the missile and drone strikes as violations of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty.
