Amid more political instability and talks of secession from Haraki leaders (Southern Movement) Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal (Saudi Arabia former Ambassador to the US) confirmed that Riyadh had decided to put all aids to Yemen on hold, pending a political settlement.

“All aid is on hold, until the country settles down,” he told officials at a conference in New York earlier this week.

While many in Yemen will undoubtedly stand in alarm at such news, given that Saudi Arabia has on countless occasions flown to the impoverished nation’s aid whenever economic hell threaten to break loose, ever the present financial bridge in time of great duress; several experts, among whom Abubakr al-Shamahi (a British-Yemeni journalist and the editor of Comment Middle East) actually welcomed the move as a blessing in disguise.

Al-Shamahi argues that if Saudi Arabia has indeed acted a useful plug in to Yemen somewhat permanent financial crisis (in 2012 Saudi Arabia deposited $1 billion into Yemen Central Bank to shore up the country’s foreign currency reserves and stabilize its currency. It also ensured that Yemen coalition government met its short term financial commitments: civil servants’ salaries), its over-bearing big brother’s attitudes prevented the country from addressing its internal issues and thus grow.

“Despite the apparent benefits of Saudi aid, the upshot is that the Saudi presence in Yemen has been debilitating for the latter. In the long term, any weakening of Saudi presence in Yemen, as a suspension of aid will almost certainly bring, is beneficial to Yemen, and will give breathing space for it to become independent of its "big brother" next door,” wrote Shamahi for al-Jazeera.