Othman Hussein Fayed Majali

Othman Hussein Fayed Megali (born 1970) is a Yemeni politician and tribal leader who has served as a member of the Presidential Leadership Council since its formation in 2022. Hailing from an influential tribe in Saada Governorate, he has been a House of Representatives member since 1997. He is known as a prominent tribal leader opposed to the Houthis, fighting against them during their insurgency. In 2011, he fled to Saudi Arabia as the Houthis captured the city of Saada, eventually returning in 2013. After the Houthi takeover in Yemen and subsequent civil war, he has resided primarily in Saudi Arabia, operating as an influential member of the anti-Houthi bloc and General People's Congress. He served as Minister of State for Parliamentary and Shura Council Affairs and Minister of Agriculture prior to joining the PLC.

Biography

Early life and career Megali was born in 1970 in the al-Abdeen area of Sahar district in Saada Governorate to a prominent tribal family noted for their resistance to the Zaidi imamate. His grandfather, , participated in the al-Waziri coup attempt of 1948 and another attempted coup in 1995, both of which ended in his arrest, before participating in the North Yemen civil war on the side of the republicans. His father, Hussein Fayez Megali, participated in the assassination of a Zaidi imam in 1969 during the civil war.

At an early age, Megali moved to the United Kingdom on the directive of his father in order for him to learn English, living with a British family with whom his father had business relations with. He eventually returned to Saada to continue his basic education, and later moved to the capital of Sanaa to join the Police College. He graduated from the college in 1994 and, Utilizing the political influence of his family and tribe, Megali entered politics in 1997, when he was elected to the House of Representatives as an independent candidate representing Sahar district after defeating the Islah candidate. He won the seat again in the 2003 election after having joined the ruling General People's Congress, and has retained it ever since. part of the larger Khawlan bin Amer tribal confederation in Saada. Through this position, Megali became one of the most influential tribal sheikhs in Saada and Yemen at large.

Heavy clashes broke out on the outskirts of Saada city in January 2011 between the Houthis and al-Abdin fighters led by Megali. Weeks later, protests part of the Yemeni revolution began spreading across the country, including Saada, as Houthi forces proceeded to besiege Megali and his followers. By this time, he had become a highly influential figure within the pro-government faction of the General People's Congress, while facing criticism from Islah.

Presidential Leadership Council Megali was appointed a member of the Presidential Leadership Council upon its formation on 7 April 2022. Among the eight members, he was among four who hailed from northern Yemen, while the rest were southerners. As part of a Yemeni government delegation participating in the UN Least Developed Nations summit at Qatar in March 2023, Megali accused Iran of contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen through their support for the Houthis. In his speech, he condemned the "terrorist and racist movements created by Iran in the Arab countries to spread chaos and control the region", with the Yemeni delegation later walking out of the summit as their Iranian counterparts took the podium.

United States ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin conducted a meeting with Megali on 12 August 2024. During the meeting, Megali spoke of the Yemeni government's support for negotiations between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis. He later accompanied President Rashad al-Alimi and fellow PLC member Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazeer on an official visit to Taiz on 27 August, the first by a Yemeni president in nearly 15 years.