Yemen-bound Plane Carrying Houthi Prisoners Leaves Saudi Arabia

An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)-chartered plane carrying freed prisoners arrives at Sanaa Airport, amid a prisoner swap, in Sanaa, Yemen April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)-chartered plane carrying freed prisoners arrives at Sanaa Airport, amid a prisoner swap, in Sanaa, Yemen April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Yemen-bound Plane Carrying Houthi Prisoners Leaves Saudi Arabia

An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)-chartered plane carrying freed prisoners arrives at Sanaa Airport, amid a prisoner swap, in Sanaa, Yemen April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)-chartered plane carrying freed prisoners arrives at Sanaa Airport, amid a prisoner swap, in Sanaa, Yemen April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

A flight carrying Houthi prisoners left Saudi Arabia on Saturday bound for Yemen's capital Sanaa, after which another flight will arrive to the Kingdom carrying Saudi prisoners, on the second day of the prisoner exchange operation.

The flight from the southern Saudi city of Abha took off before 9 am (0600 GMT) carrying 120 former detainees, ICRC public affairs and media adviser Jessica Moussan told AFP.

It was the first of three flights planned for Saturday between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

The Yemeni government and Houthi group completed the first phase of a prisoner swap deal on Friday. The deal was agreed upon last month in Switzerland and resulted in the release of 318 prisoners from both sides.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the exchange, which took place over four trips between the airports in Sana'a and Aden.

The move was met with local, Gulf, and UN approval, as well as calls for the unconditional release of all detainees related to the conflict.



King Salman Orders One-Year Extension of the Citizen Account Program

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
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King Salman Orders One-Year Extension of the Citizen Account Program

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)

Upon the recommendation of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered on Monday that the Citizen Account Program be extended, in its current framework, until the end of 2025.

The directive also includes a one-year extension of the additional support to the program’s beneficiaries, as well as the continuation of the program’s registration process.

The royal directive reflects the Saudi leadership’s keenness on citizens. The additional support to the program’s beneficiaries was already extended under a royal directive in July 2022.