Saudi Arabia Warns Yemeni President: Houthis’ Control of Maareb Red Line

Qatar-financed newspaper, al-Araby al-Jadeed reported the event, saying that Riyadh considers such move by Houthis, who are also known as Ansarullah movement, as a “red line.”
 
The paper quoted a source as saying that Riyadh sent Hadi a strongly-worded warning against any action in Maareb “as tensions rise in the province” ahead of the arrival of a presidential committee to deal with the situation in Maareb and al-Jawf.
 
Al-Araby al-Jadeed also reported that the Saudi Press is particularly interested in covering what it calls “refusal of Maareb tribes to Houthis’ control of the province.”
 
“This indicates that Riyadh realizes the importance of the oil-rich province,” which is considered the only oil and electricity supplier in Yemen, the daily said, noting that Maareb is also considered strategic because it neighbors Hadramaut and al-Jawf which are near to the Saudi kingdom.