Saudi Arabia Categorically Rejects WSJ Report on $51bn Houthi Demands
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has categorically dismissed a report published by the Wall Street Journal claiming that Yemen’s Houthi militia demanded $51 billion from the kingdom in exchange for a negotiated halt to ongoing hostilities. Senior Saudi diplomatic officials labeled the allegations as entirely unfounded fabrications, reaffirming the kingdom’s official stance on regional peace talks and diplomatic engagement in the Middle East conflict zone.
The report by the US-based newspaper alleged that Riyadh had recently approached the Houthis to explore terms for a lasting ceasefire, during which the insurgent group purportedly demanded $51 billion alongside official international recognition as the legitimate governing authority of Yemen. Rebutting the claim, Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Rayed Krimly stated publicly that the assertions regarding financial demands were completely false. “All of this is pure fabrication by the writers or their alleged sources,” Krimly declared in a statement published on social media platform X, dismissing the cited unnamed sources.
The denial comes at a delicate nexus for Middle Eastern diplomacy as Saudi Arabia seeks to stabilize its southern border and reduce direct military confrontation with the Houthi movement. Over recent years, Riyadh has engaged in multi-channel dialogue aimed at securing a permanent political resolution to the devastating Yemeni civil war, which has caused severe humanitarian crises across the region. Unsubstantiated reports regarding massive financial ransoms risk undermining fragile diplomatic channels, complicate mediator efforts led by the United Nations, and heighten geopolitical tensions across regional trade routes.
Despite the media controversy, international observers expect diplomatic consultations regarding Yemen’s long-term political framework and ceasefire mechanisms to continue through established channels. Saudi Arabia maintains that any sustainable peace agreement in Yemen must align with recognized international resolutions, protect regional maritime security, and foster national reconciliation among Yemeni political factions rather than acquiesce to unilateral demands by armed insurgent groups.