ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chief of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) Aidarous Al-Zubaidi is set to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming hours, a local official in Aden told Xinhua on Monday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Al-Zubaidi and his accompanying delegation are making final preparations to depart following repeated invitations from Riyadh, which "insisted Al-Zubaidi should visit in person rather than send representatives."
The visit comes days after the STC welcomed a Saudi call for dialogue aimed at ending a recent military escalation in southern Yemen. Saudi Arabia launched heavy airstrikes targeting STC-affiliated forces, which resulted in their withdrawal from the oil-rich province of Hadramout and the eastern province of Al-Mahrah.
Amid the fighting over Hadramout, Al-Zubaidi announced the launch of a two-year transitional period during which the council will administer the southern parts of the country, to be followed by a referendum on the independence of the south.
The delegation is expected to hold meetings in Riyadh with a number of senior Saudi officials as part of recently reached understandings between the two sides. However, details of these understandings have not yet been made public.
The source noted that the visit is viewed as a significant step that could influence the trajectory of political and military developments in southern Yemen in the coming period.
Formed in 2017, the United Arab Emirates-sponsored STC seeks self-determination and eventual independence for southern Yemen. Despite joining the Saudi-led coalition and integrating into Yemen's ruling Presidential Leadership Council in 2022, the group continues to push for southern sovereignty, leading to recurring disputes over power-sharing and control of resources. ■
