Shaya al-Zindani | |
|---|---|
شائع الزنداني | |
.jpg) Zindani in 2025 | |
| 13thPrime Minister of Yemen | |
Disputed[a] | |
| Assumed office 6 February 2026 (2026-02-06) | |
| President | Rashad al-Alimi |
| Preceded by | Salem Saleh bin Braik |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates | |
| Assumed office 26 March 2024 (2024-03-26) | |
| President | Rashad al-Alimi |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1954-09-16)16 September 1954 (age 71) Jahaf District, Dhale Governorate, Yemen |
| Children | 4 |
Shaya Mohsen al-Zindani[b][1] (born 16 September 1954) is a Yemeni diplomat and statesman who has served as theprime minister of Yemen since 2026, and theminister of foreign affairs and expatriates since 2024. Zindani was the deputy foreign minister ofSouth Yemen prior tounification and served numerous diplomatic posts afterwards, including the role of ambassador to theUnited Kingdom,Italy,Greece,Serbia,Albania,San Marino,Jordan andSaudi Arabia.
Zindani was born on 16 September 1954 inJahaf District ofDhale Governorate in southern Yemen.[2] His family traces its lineage to the northernArhab region ofSanaa.[3] He attended theUniversity of Aden and graduated with a bachelor's degree in law before studying abroad at theUniversity of Oxford in theUnited Kingdom.[4] He received ahigher diploma in philosophy, and a doctorate in the philosophy of law,[2] and later an honorary doctorate in Diplomatic Sciences. Zindani was noted for hisstudent activism, serving as president of the General National Union of Yemeni Students in 1974, and the secretary-general of the General Union of Arab Students in 1976.[1]
From 1978 to 1981, Zindani taught at the University of Aden before joining thediplomatic corps ofSouth Yemen. He was theminister plenipotentiary andchargé d'affaires at the South Yemeni embassy inBaghdad, Iraq, from 1981 to 1982, before serving as deputy foreign minister of South Yemen from 1986 to 1990.[1] In this position, he was involved in talks with theYemeni Arab Republic which led to theunification of Yemen in 1990, and headed the Yemeni delegation at a meeting between Arab diplomats on the day of the declaration of unity.[2]
Zindani served as deputy foreign minister in the newly-formedRepublic of Yemen from 1990 to 1991. From thereon, he served multiple international posts, includingambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the UK from 1991 to 1994, ambassador and advisor to the permanent representative at theUnited Nations Officeat Geneva from 1994 to 1997, ambassador toItaly and non-resident ambassador toGreece,Serbia,Albania, andSan Marino from 2005 to 2010, and permanent representative to theFood and Agriculture Organization from 2008 to 2010.[1]
From 2010 to 2015, Zindani served as the ambassador toJordan.[1] In this position, he supported the opposition during theYemeni revolution, temporarily resigning alongside other officials in a display of solidarity for the demonstrations against then-PresidentAli Abdullah Saleh after security forces killed more than 50 protestors in March 2011.[3][5][6] Later on, Zindani served as the Yemeniconsul inSaudi Arabia before being appointed ambassador to the country in 2017, as well as the permanent representative to theOrganization of Islamic Cooperation.[3][1]
PresidentRashad al-Alimi appointed Zindani theMinister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on 27 March 2024 to succeedAhmed Awad bin Mubarak, who was appointed prime minister.[1] Casey Coombs of the Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies described Zindani as "highly qualified to the key ministerial office, with 40 years of diplomatic experience and a deep understanding of Saudi Arabia." The selection of Zindani provoked internal objections from multiple members of thePresidential Leadership Council (PLC) as well as Bin Mubarak, who feared that Zindani would overhaul his previous diplomatic appointments. The Saudi government hosted a meeting inRiyadh with the PLC and Bin Mubarak in April reportedly to settle the disputes.[7]
As foreign minister, Zindani sought to strengthen relations with numerous countries includingOman,[8]Egypt,[9]Kuwait,[10] andVietnam.[11] In an interview broadcast byAl Hadath on 11 May 2024, he reported warming relations withBa'athist Syria, which he claimed did not recognize theHouthis as the legitimate authority in Yemen.[12] Upon thefall of the Assad regime, Zindani held his first call with hisSyrian caretaker government counterpartAsaad al-Sheibani on 30 December, during which they agreed upon the revitalization of bilateral relations and the reopening of the Yemeni embassy.[13]
Speaking toThe National in a February 2025 interview, Zindani said that "we don't see an end tothe war any time soon," and that despite the recent weakening of its regional proxies, he believedIran would continue tosupport the Houthis unless forced not to. He reported that the foreign ministry was engaged in strengthening relations with regional neighbours to benefit the Yemeni populace, and was being restructured to reduce corruption.[14] He toldAsharq al-Awsat in August thatpeace negotiations were effectively frozen due to lack of cooperation from the Houthis on the encouragement of Iran. He backed UN envoy to YemenHans Grundberg "despite his shortcomings in some areas," and urged greater international action against Iranian weapons shipments to the Houthis. He emphasized the government's positive relations withChina and the prioritization of relations with Saudi Arabia along with strives to "coordinate our efforts on the international arena."[15]
Amidst a Saudi-backed Yemeni governmentoffensive against theSouthern Transitional Council in early January 2026, Zindani voiced support for the Saudi government's proposed conference between the different factions of southern Yemen.[16]
The PLC appointed appointed Zindani as prime minister on 15 January 2026 following the resignation ofSalem Saleh bin Braik, and tasked with forming a new cabinet. The move came amid turmoil within the government-controlled areas of the country following the collapse of the STC.[17] Political researcher Abdulghani al-Iryani viewed the selection of Zindani, the first prime minister to be born in Dhale, as a means of retaining representation for the southern governorate following the flight of STC leaderAidarus al-Zoubaidi.[18]
The new cabinet was announced on 6 February, with Zindani assuming the position of prime minister while also retaining his role as foreign minister.[19] A total of 35 ministers were included in the cabinet, an increase of 10 members compared to the previous one. Its composition was noted for diversity in terms of professional background and regional and political representation, the latter interpreted by researcher Yaseen al-Tamimi as a return to an appeasement policy towards the different actors in the country. The inclusion of three female ministers was praised by localwomen's rights activists, while reception in the south was more mixed.[20]
Zindani stated his government's objectives would be "improving living conditions and services for citizens, combating corruption and developing institutional performance to contribute to ending Houthi control of large parts of the country, restoring state institutions and consolidating stability."[20]
Zindani is married and has three daughters and a son. He is fluent inArabic, his native language, along withEnglish.[2]
| North Yemen (1962–1990) | |
|---|---|
| South Yemen (1969–1990) | |
| Republic of Yemen (1990–) | |
