Yemen Monitor – Sana’a:
Informed sources have confirmed that the Houthi armed group has appointed Alawi Yahya Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi, nephew of the group’s leader, as Chairman of the Yemeni Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority, replacing Yahya Al-Sayyani.
According to the sources, Alawi Al-Houthi, a man in his twenties, was appointed earlier this week by the de facto Houthi authorities. No official explanation was given for the dismissal of Al-Sayyani, who had held the position for only a few months after succeeding Dr. Mohammed Abdulqader.
The sources added that the Houthi-run Ministry of Transport, which operates under an unrecognized government, along with labor unions within the authority, had previously called for the reinstatement of Dr. Abdulqader, citing his technical qualifications and his previous management of the authority during the war years.
The dismissal of Al-Sayyani comes amid accusations of financial corruption, including the alleged misuse of over five billion Yemeni riyals in what were described as illegitimate or fictitious projects.
Over the past several months, according to statements from three employees interviewed by Yemen Monitor, the authority experienced a complete halt in the disbursement of employee entitlements, including salaries. This led to a wave of resignations and employee departures.
A letter from the Civil Aviation Employees Union, reviewed by Yemen Monitor, warned of an imminent institutional collapse, attributing the situation to administrative instability and unqualified appointments. The letter held the Houthi leadership responsible for what it described as the erosion of professional standards within key state institutions.
The Houthis had previously revoked the authority’s financial and administrative independence, merging it under the control of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance.
Employees described the authority as a “financial reservoir” managed by senior Houthi figures for discretionary use.
