Saudi authorities arrest former Yemeni pilot in Mecca without explaining the reasons

The Saudi authorities arrested the Yemeni pilot, Talal Mohammed Ali Hassan Al-Shawish, from his workplace in Mecca, where he was working in a blacksmith workshop after he was forced to leave his country to search for a source of income for his family.

According to an informed source, Al-Shawish was arrested on Wednesday, November 27, and transferred to Dhahban Prison in Jeddah, despite his legal status as a resident in Saudi Arabia, without revealing the reasons for the arrest so far.

Al-Shawish, a graduate of the Aviation College in Sana’a in 2007, held prominent positions, including Director of Security and Safety at Al-Anad Air Base; however, the Houthi militia coup in 2014 and the war that followed led to him losing his job, so he returned to his village in the Mawiah District of Taiz Governorate and worked in agriculture.

As living conditions worsened, Al-Shawish was forced to immigrate to Saudi Arabia four months ago to work as a blacksmith in Mecca, but he was suddenly arrested without any explanation for the reasons for his arrest.

In a post on his personal page last August, Al-Shawish wrote: “My first day abroad after life became difficult for me and those around me in Yemen.. a new experience and a challenge that I never expected, but circumstances pushed me to live abroad to secure a decent life for our children and educate them as the last gains in life.”

This comes as the family of pilot Al-Shawish is still waiting for an official explanation from the Saudi authorities regarding the circumstances and reasons for his arrest, amid growing concern about his fate.