Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies
عــربي

The 13th Yemen Exchange An Intensive Online Course on Yemen

Online via ZOOM
October 26 – November 25, 2026 16:00–20:00 Sana'a / 9:00–13:00 ET
Mondays & Wednesdays.

Summary

The 13th Yemen Exchange is organized by the Sana’a Center and The Exchange Foundation. The course is designed to provide unique access to information, perspectives, updates, and analysis on Yemen for those seeking to develop a working background on the country, as well as those already thoroughly versed in its dynamics. During the ten-day online program, participants from around the world will listen to Yemeni analysts, academics, politicians, bureaucrats, business leaders, and international experts to gain insights and rare first-hand knowledge about the country from a wide range of perspectives. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with speakers virtually during the sessions and connect with them individually after the Exchange.

The sessions themselves – totaling more than 30 hours – will dive into several specific areas, including but not limited to: Yemen’s multifaceted conflicts, socio-political dynamics, internal divisions and alliances among parties to the conflict, developments in the southern governorates, military and political developments on the ground, the status of various armed groups, gender issues, the regional battle for Yemen, the international response, the state of the economy, the UN-led peace process, the Red Sea crisis, and a variety of other topics.

Speakers and facilitators

Previous Speakers

The Yemen Exchange brings together leading Yemeni and international experts. Below is a selection of speakers from previous Yemen Exchange sessions.

Dr. Shayea Al-Zindani

Prime Minister of Yemen

Amr Al-Beidh

Special Representative of the President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC)

Taimur Khan

Head of Regional Operations for the Gulf, Conflict Armament Research

Maged Al-Madhaji

Co-founder and Chairperson of the Sana’a Center

Jamal Benomar

Former UN Special Envoy for Yemen
(2011-2015)

H.E. Patrick Simonnet

EU Ambassador to Yemen

Dr. Thomas Juneau

Professor at the University of Ottawa and Non-Resident Fellow at the Sana’a Center

Dr. Andrea Carboni

Head of Analysis at ACLED

H.E. Steven H. Fagin

Former United States Ambassador to Yemen

Nadwa Al-Dawsari

Non-resident scholar with the Middle East Institute

Sanam Vakil

Director of Chatham House MENA Programme

Marco Livadiotti

Expert on Yemen cultural and natural heritage and architecture

Farea Al-Muslimi

Research Fellow at Chatham House and Founder and Ex-chairperson of the Sana’a Center

Ahmed Dahshan

Editor-in-Chief, Center for Arab-Eurasian Studies

Dr. Zakiyeh Yazdanshenas

Assistant Professor in Global Studies at the University of Tehran

Dr. April Longley Alley

Practitioner and Expert in conflict prevention, mediation and Middle East politics

Mohammed Al-Basha

Political Analyst and Founder of BashaReport

Peter Salisbury

Journalist and Analyst focusing on the political economy of war

Camille Lons

Deputy Head of the Paris office at the European Council on Foreign Relations

Kristine Beckerle

Deputy Regional Director and Beirut Office Director for Amnesty MENA Office

Majd Ibrahim

Researcher on Yemeni economic and political affairs

Badr Alqahtani

Journalist and Senior Editor of Gulf affairs at Asharq Al-Awsat

Schedule

Week 1

Monday, October 26
Wednesday, October 28

Week 2

Monday, November 2
Wednesday, November 4

Week 3

Monday, November 9
Wednesday, November 11

Week 4

Monday, November 16
Wednesday, November 18

Week 5

Monday, November 23
Wednesday, November 25

Selected sessions

Please note that this is not the final agenda.

Who is fighting whom, where, and why?

This session will be a deep dive into political alliances, divisions, and conflicts within Yemen. Analysts will elaborate on current frontlines, armed groups, and local and regional actors, as well as other stakeholders and unexplored roots of the war.

Political Representative Sessions

The session will discuss various perspectives of political representatives on Yemen’s future. Discussions will focus on governance, peace efforts, and key political priorities, offering insights into potential pathways for reconciliation and stability.

Rethinking Mediation in Yemen: Lessons, Pitfalls, and New Pathways

This session will explore the evolution of mediation efforts in Yemen, assessing both past and ongoing initiatives. Speakers will examine key challenges faced by mediators, lessons learned from previous processes, and opportunities to strengthen future approaches.

The Houthis

This session will provide an in-depth analysis of the Houthi group (Ansar Allah), exploring its origins, internal structure, and evolving objectives. Experts will examine the group’s leadership dynamics, decision-making processes, and ideological foundations, shedding light on how internal divisions and external pressures shape their strategies. The discussion will also address the Houthis' broader political and military ambitions, offering insights into their role in Yemen’s ongoing conflict and regional dynamics.

The Cost of Speaking Out: Yemeni Women Human Rights Defenders

This session will examine the rising threats facing Yemeni women human rights defenders, including harassment, defamation, surveillance, intimidation, and violence. Speakers will discuss the psychosocial toll on women leaders, the impact on Yemen’s wider women’s movement, and what role the government, donors, and civil society can play in strengthening protection and accountability.

The South

This session examines the dynamics in southern Yemen, including political actors, governance structures, and aspirations for autonomy or independence. Experts will analyze internal divisions and alliances, and how the Southern Question fits into the broader conflict and regional geopolitical landscape.

Oil Exports

This session will explore how the resumption of oil exports could support Yemen’s economic recovery. Experts will analyze the potential for revitalizing Yemen’s oil sector, its impact on the national economy, and the broader geopolitical and security considerations surrounding the restoration of exports.

How Can Tribal Law Contribute to Transitional Justice?

This session will explore how traditional legal systems can be integrated into formal justice processes to promote accountability, reconciliation, and the restoration of social order in post-conflict Yemen.

Post UAE Withdrawal: Yemen’s New Political Balance

This session will examine how the UAE’s withdrawal, followed by the dissolution of the STC, has reshaped Yemen’s internationally recognized authorities and the wider anti-Houthi camp. Speakers will discuss Saudi Arabia’s expanded role and whether these changes have strengthened state authority or deepened existing fractures within Yemen’s political landscape.

Smuggling Networks and Houthi-Al-Shabaab Links

This session will explore the illicit networks connecting Yemen, the Horn of Africa, and the wider Red Sea region. Experts will examine smuggling routes, arms trafficking, and reported links between the Houthis and Al-Shabaab, assessing their implications for maritime security, conflict financing, and regional instability.

Yemen and the Chokepoint Crisis: Maritime Insecurity from Bab al-Mandab to Hormuz

This session will examine how Yemen has become central to the regional contest over maritime chokepoints. Speakers will discuss Houthi attacks on shipping, Iran-linked regional escalation, international naval deployments, and the wider maritime security environment along Yemen’s coasts, including smuggling, privacy risks, arms trafficking, and the role of local armed actors.

Where Does Yemen Fit in a Changing Regional Order?

This session will examine Yemen’s place in Gulf and regional debates over security, development, logistics, and economic resilience. As Gulf states reassess their economic visions amid war, maritime disruption, and pressure on energy routes, speakers will discuss whether Yemen is being treated as a strategic neighbor, a security burden, or a missing piece in future regional planning. The session will explore what these shifts mean for Yemen’s recovery, reconstruction, and long-term economic position.

The Axis of Resistance After the Iran war

This session will examine how shifting regional dynamics related to Iran are affecting Yemen’s conflict. The discussion will focus on the Houthis’ relationship with Iran and other proxies including Iraqi militias and Hezbollah, as well as the Houthis expanding regional role and the limits of their influence and military reach.

Tribes and Politics

This session will delve into the intersection of tribal structures and political dynamics in Yemen. Experts will examine how tribes influence governance, conflict dynamics, and political alliances, exploring their role in shaping both local and national power structures within the broader context of Yemen’s ongoing conflict.

Can the government of Yemen put its house in order?

This session will examine Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council and its ability to shape the country’s political future. Experts will discuss its formation, leadership dynamics, the challenges it faces in navigating Yemen’s complex conflict, governance, and potential reforms.

Yemen’s Water and Agricultural Dilemma: Food Security or Water Security and why?

This session will examine the difficult balance between strengthening food security and protecting Yemen’s scarce water resources. While Yemen imports more than 90 percent of its food, agriculture remains central to the livelihoods of more than 70 percent of Yemenis and consumes the vast majority of the country’s limited water resources, often through inefficient irrigation. The discussion will consider whether food security efforts risk deepening Yemen’s water crisis, and what a more sustainable approach could look like.

Details

All costs related to The Yemen Exchange are funded by participant fees, except for scholarships provided by both organizations (see below). There is no supplementary government or private sector support, a fact that allows us to assure participants of a relatively independent platform for the exchange of information, open dialogue, and understanding.

All sessions are held under the Chatham House Rule, with some sessions consisting of only one speaker in order to assure as open and unfiltered a discussion as possible when covering sensitive topics. Simultaneous translation to English and Arabic will be provided.

Before the course begins, accepted applicants will receive a course syllabus and the final agenda. Throughout the course, necessary agenda updates will be communicated with the participants on a daily basis. Participants are encouraged to connect with experts and speakers after the sessions, to pursue deeper lines of questioning for their own work and research, subject to each speaker’s approval.

Applying for a scholarship & The Yemen Exchange currently has five scholarships (covering the participation fee) available for researchers who will deepen the social, political and geographic diversity of the Exchange and who can demonstrate both a lack of institutional support or ability to self-fund, and a deep interest in Yemen. For questions related to scholarships, email [email protected].

Participation Fees

1800 $
For governments & for-profit companies
1200 $
For NGOs, non-profit & UN organizations
500 $
For freelance journalists, unaffiliated researchers & academics
Free
For the recipients of five available scholarships

Apply Now

Partners

Previous Exchanges

Share: