Yemen remains caught between an unresolved internal conflict and its growing role in wider regional tensions. Fresh from extensive fieldwork in Yemen, Baraa Shaiban, one of the country’s most noted analysts and practitioners, joins Dr. H.A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for a one-on-one conversation on Yemen’s shifting political and security landscape, including internal divisions, the role of the Houthis, and the impact of regional military escalation. The discussion explores the implications for Red Sea security, Yemen’s prospects for stability, and the possibility of an inclusive political process.

Baraa Shaiban is a Yemeni researcher, political analyst, and associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), specializing in Yemen, Gulf politics, and counterterrorism. He has extensive experience examining the impact of counterterrorism policies on local communities in Yemen. From 2013 to 2014, he served as a member of Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference, which sought to shape the country’s political transition and constitutional framework. He subsequently participated in negotiations with the Houthis before going into exile following his criticism of the group’s human rights abuses. His work focuses on Yemen’s political and security dynamics, regional developments, and the impact of conflict on local communities.

Facilitated by Dr. H.A. Hellyer is a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. He has previously held positions at the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the University of Cambridge, and Harvard University. He has also served with the UK Government, including as deputy convenor of its Taskforce on Radicalisation, and with the UK Foreign Office. The author of ten books, Dr. Hellyer is regularly consulted by international media on geopolitics and national security.