Saudi Arabia conducting joint investigation into Flydubai incident with UAE

Saudi Arabia is offering over 224 million riyals, approximately $60 million, in budget assistance to Yemen's recognized government, according to Saudi Ambassador Mohammed Al Jabir. This aid is provided amidst heightened confrontations between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis, who have launched attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure.

Al Jabir emphasized that the funding, at the Yemeni government's request, aims to maintain a consistent flow of governmental resources, improve fiscal efficiency, and bolster Yemeni citizens' purchasing power. Recent battles in Yemen's Taiz governorate saw Yemeni forces clash with Houthi fighters, resulting in casualties and equipment losses for the rebels, as reported by the state-run Saba news agency.

The Houthis, who control Yemen's capital Sanaa and most of the northern regions, have carried out assaults on Saudi targets and vessels in the Red Sea. These attacks have exacerbated global oil supply concerns stemming from the US-Israeli war against Iran and jeopardize the Red Sea route, an alternative for Gulf exports as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely obstructed.

The Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014, leading to a Saudi-led military intervention the following year following Yemen's internationally recognized government's request. The ongoing civil war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, including through starvation and disease. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 significantly curtailed hostilities until renewed fighting erupted this summer.

As of March, over 22 million Yemenis required humanitarian aid, with 5.2 million internally displaced and 18.3 million facing severe food insecurity, according to UN data. Thursday's clashes centered around the Jabal Habashi, Maqbanah, Al Aqroud fronts, and eastern and northern Taiz city districts, where government forces managed to repel Houthi assaults, forcing the rebels to retreat after intense combat.

On Sunday, the Houthis' health ministry reported seven deaths and 40 injuries, including children, in a strike on shops at a market in Taiz province's Mawiya junction. Yemen's recognized government stated its forces had targeted a Houthi military camp and vehicles at the same junction.