Presidential Leadership Council
Yemen's executive body
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The Presidential Leadership Council (PLC; Arabic: مجلس القيادة الرئاسي, romanized: Majlis al-Qiyādah al-Riʼāsī) is the executive body of Yemen's internationally recognized government,[2] formed on 7 April 2022. It is chaired by Rashad al-Alimi and initially had a membership of eight, including representatives from the Southern Transitional Council (STC).[3][4] The decree claims all powers of the president and vice president have been transferred to this council. However, it also vests the chairman with sweeping personal powers, including the ability to unilaterally command the military and appoint governors and other key officials.[5]
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Vice-presidents (Multiple, see Members)
| Presidential Leadership Council | |
|---|---|
| مجلس القيادة الرئاسي | |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Established | 7 April 2022 |
| State | Yemen |
| Leader | President (Rashad al-Alimi) Vice-presidents (Multiple, see Members) |
| Appointed by | Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi |
| Headquarters | Al-Maashiq Palace, Aden, Yemen[1] |
| Website | presidentalalimi |
As of May 2023, three of the eight seats in the Presidential Leadership Council were held by members of the Southern Transitional Council.[6]
In December 2025, Saudi Arabian forces guarding the PLC's headquarters in Aden withdrew from the city amid the STC's takeover, with Saudi Arabian-aligned members of the Council—including chairman Rashad al-Alimi—leaving along with them, while the STC asserted that "The institutional makeup remains unchanged."[7][8] On 22 December 2025, four non-STC members of the Presidential Leadership Council resolved to suspend any public official who supported southern secession.[9] STC leader Aidarus al-Zoubaidi was dismissed from the council on 7 January 2026.[10] STC vice-chairman Faraj Al-Bahsani was also dismissed from the council on 15 January 2026, with al-Alimi citing evidence that Al-Bahsani had mobilized southern troops to be deployed in Hadramaut in December 2025.[11][12]
In a decree dating to 15 January 2026, al-Alimi appointed Mahmoud al-Subaihi and Salem al-Khanbashi as members of the council to fill in the vacancies of al-Zoubaidi and Al-Bahsani.[13][14]
Members
| Incumbent | Portfolio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rashad al-Alimi | President | A former adviser to former president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. |
| Tareq Saleh | Vice-president | Military commander and the nephew of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Leader of the National Resistance. |
| Sultan Ali al-Arada | Vice-president | A prominent tribal and military figure. Governor of Marib Governorate. Member of the Al-Islah party. |
| Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazeer | Vice-president | One of president Hadi's inner circle. He also is a member of the Al-Islah party. |
| Abed al-Rahman Abu Zara’a | Member | Also Known as Abd al-Rahman al-Mahrami, he also leads the UAE-backed Southern Movement's Giants Brigades. He is known to be a Salafist. |
| Othman Hussein Megali | Member | Lawmaker and one of the tribal leaders in Sa'dah, the main stronghold of the Houthis. |
| Mahmoud al-Subaihi | Member | Lieutenant General in the Yemeni Armed Forces and former Minister of Defense from 2014 to 2018. |
| Salem al-Khanbashi | Member | Governor of Hadhramaut Governorate |
- Former members
- Faraj Salmin Al-Bahsani, former governor of Hadramaut[15] and former commander of the second military region that operates in the province.[3] He was appointed as the vice-chairman of the Southern Transitional Council in May 2023.[16]
- Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, chairman and commander of the Southern Transitional Council and the de facto leader of the Southern Movement.
