List of heads of state of Yemen

This article is about the heads of state of modern Yemen. For the heads of government of modern Yemen, see List of heads of government of Yemen.

The following is a list of the heads of state of modern Yemen, from the establishment of the Kingdom of Yemen in 1918 to the present day.

Yemen is in a tumultuous state since the start of the Arab Spring-related Yemeni crisis in 2011; the crisis resulted in the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2012, after 33 years in power.[1] The presidency was then transferred to Vice President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Since 2014–2015, the country has been in a civil war (alongside the Saudi-led military intervention aimed at restoring Hadi's government after the Houthi takeover) with several proto-state entities claiming to govern Yemen: the internationally recognized Cabinet of Yemen/Presidential Leadership Council, the Houthi-led Supreme Revolutionary Committee/Supreme Political Council, and the secessionist Southern Transitional Council.[2][3][4][5][6]

Kingdom of Yemen (1918–1970)

Portrait		Imam (Birth–Death)	Reign			House	Claim
			Reign start	Reign end	Duration
		Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din (1869–1948)	30 October 1918	17 February 1948 (assassinated.)[7]	29 years, 110 days	Rassid	Son of Muhammad Al-Mansur Imam of the Zaydis since 4 June 1904
		Ahmad bin Yahya (1891–1962)	17 February 1948	19 September 1962[8]	14 years, 214 days	Rassid	Son of Yahya
		Muhammad al-Badr (1926–1996)	19 September 1962	26 September 1962 (deposed.)[9]	7 days	Rassid	Son of Ahmad

Kingdom of Yemen in Exile (1962–1970)

Portrait		Imam (Birth–Death)	Reign			House	Claim
			Reign start	Reign end	Duration
		Muhammad al-Badr (1926–1996)[a]	27 September 1962	1 December 1970	8 years, 65 days	Rassid	Son of Ahmad

Yemen Arab Republic (1962–1990)

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
President of the Republic
		Abdullah al-Sallal (1917–1994)[b]	27 September 1962	5 November 1967 (deposed.)	5 years, 39 days	Military
Chairman of the Republican Council
		Abdul Rahman al-Eryani (1910–1998)	5 November 1967	13 June 1974 (deposed.)[10]	6 years, 220 days	Independent
President of the Republic
		Ibrahim al-Hamdi (1943–1977)[c]	13 June 1974	11 October 1977 (assassinated.)[11]	3 years, 120 days	Military
		Ahmad al-Ghashmi (1938–1978)[d]	11 October 1977	24 June 1978 (assassinated.)[12]	256 days	Military
Chairman of the Presidential Council
		Abdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi (1934–2006)	24 June 1978	18 July 1978	24 days	Independent
President of the Republic
		Ali Abdullah Saleh (1947–2017)	18 July 1978[13]	22 May 1990[14]	11 years, 308 days	Military (until 24 August 1982)
						General People's Congress

People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1967–1990)

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
President of the Republic
		Qahtan Muhammad al-Shaabi (1920–1981)	30 November 1967	22 June 1969 (deposed.)[15]	1 year, 204 days	National Liberation Front
Chairman of the Presidential Council
		Salim Rubaya Ali (1935–1978)	23 June 1969	26 June 1978 (assassinated.)[16]	9 years, 3 days	National Liberation Front
		Ali Nasir Muhammad (born 1939)	26 June 1978	27 December 1978	184 days	National Liberation Front (until 21 December 1978.)
						Yemeni Socialist Party
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council
		Abdul Fattah Ismail (1939–1986)	27 December 1978	21 April 1980[17]	1 year, 116 days	Yemeni Socialist Party
		Ali Nasir Muhammad (born 1939)	26 April 1980	24 January 1986 (deposed.)	5 years, 273 days	Yemeni Socialist Party
		Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas (born 1939)	24 January 1986[18]	22 May 1990[14]	4 years, 118 days	Yemeni Socialist Party

Democratic Republic of Yemen (1994)

Portrait		President (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
		Ali Salem al-Beidh (born 1939) (in rebellion)	21 May 1994[19]	7 July 1994[20]	47 days	Yemeni Socialist Party

STC secession attempt (2017–present)

Portrait		President (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
		Aidarus al-Zoubaidi (born 1967) (in rebellion)	11 May 2017	Incumbent	7 years, 271 days	Southern Movement

Republic of Yemen (post-unification, 1990–present)

Status

  Denotes Acting President

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
President of the Republic
		Ali Abdullah Saleh (1947–2017)[e]	1999 2006	22 May 1990	27 February 2012 (resigned.)[21]	21 years, 281 days	General People's Congress
		Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi (born 1945)	—	4 June 2011[22]	23 September 2011	111 days	General People's Congress
				23 November 2011	27 February 2012	96 days
			2012	27 February 2012	7 April 2022 (resigned.)[23]	10 years, 39 days
Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council
		Rashad al-Alimi (born 1954)	—	7 April 2022[23]	Incumbent	2 years, 305 days	General People's Congress
President of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee
		Mohammed al-Houthi (born 1979)[f] (in rebellion)	—	6 February 2015	15 August 2016	1 year, 191 days	Houthis
President of the Supreme Political Council
		Saleh Ali al-Sammad (1979–2018)[f] (in rebellion)	—	15 August 2016	19 April 2018 (killed.)[24]	1 year, 247 days	Houthis
		Mahdi al-Mashat (born 1986)[f] (in rebellion)	—	25 April 2018	Incumbent	6 years, 289 days	Houthis

Timeline

See also

• Modern history of Yemen
• Imams of Yemen
• President of the Yemen Arab Republic
• List of leaders of South Yemen
• President of Yemen

Notes

1. In northern Yemen, from March 1969 in exile in Taif, Saudi Arabia.
2. Styled as Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council until 3 October 1962.
3. Styled as Chairman of the Command Council until 13 June 1975.
4. Styled as Chairman of the Presidential Council until 22 April 1978.
5. Styled as Chairman of the Presidential Council until 1 October 1994.
6. Appointed by the Houthis, in rebellion during their takeover and its aftermath.

References

1. James L. Gelvin (2012). The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-19-989177-1.
2. Mareike Transfeld (2014). "Capturing Sanaa: Why the Houthis Were Successful in Yemen". Muftah. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
3. Steven A. Zyck (2014). "Mediating Transition in Yemen: Achievements and Lessons" (PDF). International Peace Institute. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
4. Silvana Toska (26 September 2014). "Shifting balances of power in Yemen's crisis". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
5. "Houthi leader vows to defend 'glorious revolution'". Al Jazeera. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
6. Aboueldahab, Noha. "Yemen's fate was sealed six years ago". www.aljazeera.com.
7. "YEMEN HEAD KILLED WITH 3 SONS, AIDE". New York Times. Associated Press. 20 February 1948. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
8. "Imam Ahmad of Yemen Is Dead". New York Times. 20 September 1962. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
9. "Imam of Yemen Reported Slain In Coup After a Week on Throne". New York Times. 28 September 1962. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
10. "Military in Yemen Ousts Government And Sets Up Junta". New York Times. 14 June 1974. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
11. "Martial Law Is Imposed by Yemen". New York Times. 13 October 1977. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
12. "President of Yemen Reported Murdered". New York Times. Associated Press. 25 June 1978. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
13. "Yemen People's Council Chooses Saleh to Take Over as President". New York Times. Associated Press. 18 July 1978. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
14. "2 Yemens Become One, and Celebrate". New York Times. Reuters. 23 May 1990. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
15. "Southern Yemen's President Quits and Council Replaces Him". New York Times. 23 June 1969. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
16. "South Yemen Chief Reported Slain, But Pro‐Red Group Stays in Power". New York Times. 27 June 1978. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
17. "South Yemen Replaces President; Held Office Less Than 2 Years". New York Times. 22 April 1980. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
18. Serge Schmemann (26 January 1986). "SOVIET-BACKED YEMENI IS 'ACTING PRESIDENT'". New York Times. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
19. "Southern Yemenis Announce Secession". New York Times. Reuters. 22 May 1994. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
20. "Yemen Claims Victory in Civil War After Seizing Rebel City". New York Times. Associated Press. 8 July 1994. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
21. "AFP: Yemen's Saleh formally steps down after 33 years". Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
22. "Al-Hadi acting President of Yemen". Blogs.aljazeera.net. 4 June 2011. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
23. Ghobari, Mohamed (7 April 2022). "Yemen president sacks deputy, delegates presidential powers to council". Reuters. Aden. Retrieved 7 April 2022. With this declaration a Presidential Leadership Council shall be established to complete the implementation of the tasks of the transitional period. I irreversibly delegate to the Presidential Leadership Council my full powers in accordance with the constitution and the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism.
24. "Yemen war: Houthi political leader 'killed in air raid'". BBC. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.

External links

• List of Yemeni heads of state and government
• World Statesmen – Yemen