Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi

Between 4 June and 23 September 2011, Hadi was the acting president of Yemen while Ali Abdullah Saleh was undergoing medical treatment in Saudi Arabia following an attack on the presidential palace during the 2011 Yemeni uprising.^[6] On 23 November, he became Acting President again, after Saleh moved into a non-active role pending the presidential election "in return for immunity from prosecution". Hadi was "expected to form a national unity government and also call for early presidential elections within 90 days" while Saleh continued to serve as president in name only.^[7] Mansour Hadi was chosen as a president for a two-year transitional period on 21 February by Yemen's political factions, in an election where he was the sole consensus candidate, although the election was boycotted by Houthis in the north and Southern Secessionists in the south of the country. Hadi's mandate was extended for another year in January 2014.^[8] According to pro-Houthi media outlet SABA, Hadi remained in power after the expiration of his mandate.^[9]


On 22 January 2015, he was forced to resign by the Houthis in the midst of mass protest against his decision to raise the fuel subsidies and due to dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2011 Revolution. Subsequently, the Houthis and the supporters of Saleh seized the presidential palace and placed Hadi under house arrest. The Houthis named a Revolutionary Committee to assume the powers of the presidency, as well as unify with the General People's Congress, Hadi's own political party.^[10][11][12] A month later, Hadi escaped to his hometown of Aden, rescinded his resignation, and denounced the Houthi takeover. He arrived in Riyadh the next day, as a coalition of countries led by Saudi Arabia intervened in support of his government.^[13] He returned to Aden in September 2015, as Saudi-backed government forces recaptured the city.^[14] In late 2017, he was reportedly residing in Riyadh under house arrest.^[15]


In 2022, Hadi transferred his powers to a newly formed Presidential Leadership Council led by Rashad al-Alimi which would seek a political solution to Yemen's civil war.^[5] This came amid a broader push for peace with Saudi Arabia.^[16] Multiple sources in the Saudi and Yemeni governments alleged that he had been forced to cede power by the Saudis.^[17][18][19]