UPDATE - New Yemeni government formed under Shaya al-Zindani with 34 ministers

ADDS BACKGROUND

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council approved the formation of a new government headed by Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani, with a 34-member cabinet that includes three women, the Saba News Agency reported Friday.

Al-Zindani will also serve as Minister of Foreign affairs and Expatriates.

The cabinet includes Maamar Motahar al-Eryani as Information Minister, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Ali Ahmed Haidan as Interior Minister, and Maj. Gen. Taher Ali Obeidah al-Oqaili as Defense Minister.

Among the female ministers named are Afrah Abdulaziz al-Zouba as Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Ahd Mohammed Salem Jaasous as Minister of State for Women’s affairs, and Judge Ishraq Fadl al-Maqtari, according to the announcement.

The formation of the government was approved in line with Yemen’s constitution, the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and its implementation mechanism signed in 2011, as well as the 2022 decision transferring presidential powers to the Presidential Leadership Council, Saba said.

The council said the decision was taken in the interest of the country’s “supreme national interest.”

The new cabinet follows the resignation of former Prime Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak on May 3, 2025. His outgoing government did not include female representation.

The government’s formation follows months of consultations held in Riyadh, aimed at easing tensions between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which announced its dissolution on Jan. 9. The talks sought to forge a consensus framework for managing the next phase of governance.

Beyond internal political disputes, Yemen has been engulfed for six years in a war between government forces and the Houthi movement. The conflict has driven one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with about 80% of the population - roughly 30 million people - dependent on humanitarian assistance, according to the UN.