Sana'a businessmen boycott an alleged Houthi conference in their name

Yemeni businessmen in Sana'a boycotted a press conference organized by the Houthi militia under the name of Yemeni Businessmen, during which it claimed to respond to the inclusion of Houthi financial leader Ali al-Hadi on the US sanctions list.

The Houthi Saba news agency published news about the conference, claiming that Yemeni businessmen rejected the US sanctions imposed on Ali al-Hadi, but the agency did not mention the name of any businessman who attended the conference, nor did it identify the organizers of the event.

Photos published by Saba News Agency on Saturday showed the absence of any prominent figure from the private sector, even from owners of medium-sized companies, confirming that the conference did not represent real businessmen.

Wafiq Saleh, a journalist specializing in economic affairs, confirmed that no well-known businessman participated in the conference, noting that those in charge of it were members of the Houthi militia and not representatives of the private sector.

The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Ali al-Hadi, the Houthi leader who stormed the Chamber of Commerce in Sanaa in mid-2022, seized it by force, and appointed himself its president.

The US Treasury accused Houthi leader Al-Hadi of playing a major role in purchasing weapons for the Houthis during the middle of last year.