Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz has affirmed that Saudi Arabia will reopen its embassy in Yemen after a closure that lasted months in the wake of abduction of a Saudi diplomat, Abdullah Al-Khalidi, Marib Press reported.
In a phone call between the Yemeni President Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi and the Saudi king, both leaders discussed obstructions that deprived Yemenis from performing Umrah this year. Yemenis organized several rallies in the capital Sana'a last week, calling for reopening the Saudi embassy. The protesters who carried pictures of Yemen and Saudi's leaders as well as banners condemning abducting the Saudi diplomat appealed to Abdulaziz and Hadi to reopen the embassy after months of closure.
They demanded the embassy to resume its duties and issue visas and allow the Hajj and Umra seekers to practice their religious obligations.
Meanwhile, Xinhua quoted a Yemeni official of the Foreign Affairs Ministry as saying that reopening the Saudi embassy is contingent on releasing the kidnapped diplomat by al-Qaeda.
The Saudi diplomat Abdullah Al-Khalidi was abducted by gunmen affiliated to the terror network of al-Qaeda from nearby his residence in the southern port city of Aden. Several mediations aiming to release al-Kaledi failed so far.
However, on Wednesday a tribal chief was quoted by Xinhua as saying that negotiations with al-Qaeda that aim to ensure a safe release for the Saudi diplomat resumed. The unnamed tribal chief predicted that this time the mediation is going to bear fruit and be culminated with freeing al-Kaledi.