Treaty of Taif

The Treaty of Taif is a treaty concluded in 1353 AH between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen; it took its name from the city of Taif and is the foundation on which the Saudi-Yemeni border demarcation was based.[1]

The joint Saudi-Yemeni border committee at Dhahran al-Janub concluded in 1354 AH the demarcation of the Saudi-Yemeni border on the basis of the Treaty, and the work of the joint committees between the two countries continued thereafter until the completion of the land border demarcation.[1][5]

King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud sent a Saudi delegation to the Imam of Yemen to settle the border problems between the two countries.[1]

The imams of the House of Hamid al-Din ruled Yemen until September 1962.[2]

Umm al-Qura is the Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, founded by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud; its first issue appeared on 15 Jumada al-Awwal 1343 AH, corresponding to 12 December 1924, and it is headquartered in Makkah.[3]

The Gazette publishes laws, regulations, decisions, orders and royal decrees, and all other documents that the law requires to be published; publication in it gives the statutory provisions it sets out legal effect.[3]

The first sessions of the Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council, which was established to strengthen the bonds of relations between the two countries, were held in 1395 AH, corresponding to 1975.[11]

The signing of the memorandum of understanding on 27 Ramadan 1415 AH, corresponding to 26 February 1995, in Makkah, was a model of the spirit of amity and concord between the two countries, and it produced the formation of the joint Saudi-Yemeni Supreme Committee, from which meetings of economic, military and technical committees emerged.[11]

The eighth meeting of the committee concerned with implementing the international border treaty between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen was held in Sana’a on 2–3 Safar 1426 AH, corresponding to 12–13 March 2005, chaired by Yemeni Interior Minister Dr. Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi and Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz.[4]

The joint Saudi-Yemeni committee for following up the implementation of the international border treaty and its annexes held a meeting at the Republican Palace in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, on 3 Safar 1426 AH, corresponding to 13 March 2005, chaired by Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz for the Saudi side and Major General Dr. Rashad al-Alimi for the Yemeni side.[5]

The Yemeni Interior Minister affirmed that the meeting came within the framework of implementing the Treaty of Jeddah, which formed a historic achievement between the Kingdom and Yemen and laid new foundations for cooperation at various security, economic, social and cultural levels; the efforts of the joint committees led to the completion of the land border demarcation between the two countries, and the maritime border file remained among the outstanding matters to be completed.[5]

The joint Saudi-Yemeni military committee concluded its meeting at the Conference Palace in Jeddah on 18 Ramadan 1427 AH, corresponding to 10 October 2006, chaired by the chiefs of the two countries’ general staffs.[6]

The fifth session of the joint Saudi-Yemeni follow-up committee was held at the Conference Palace in Riyadh on 28 Rabi’ al-Thani 1428 AH, corresponding to 15 May 2007, and its work continued for two days.[7]

The second meeting of the second-degree border authorities committee between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen began in Sana’a on 19 Dhu al-Qi’dah 1429 AH, corresponding to 17 November 2008, chaired by Director General of the Saudi Border Guard Major General Talal bin Mohsen al-Anqawi, with the attendance of the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Yemen, Ali al-Hamdan.[8]

Yemeni Interior Minister Major General Mutahar Rashad met in Sana’a with the head of the Saudi side in the joint Saudi-Yemeni border authorities committee, Major General Talal bin Mohsen al-Anqawi, on 20 Dhu al-Qi’dah 1429 AH, corresponding to 18 November 2008; the joint border authorities committee between the two countries is one of the fruits of the historic Treaty of Jeddah for demarcating the borders between them.[9][10]

Q: What is the Treaty of Taif? A: It is a treaty concluded in 1353 AH between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and it is the foundation on which the Saudi-Yemeni border demarcation was based.[1]

Q: When did the joint Saudi-Yemeni border committee conclude the demarcation of the border between the two countries? A: It concluded it at Dhahran al-Janub in 1354 AH, on the basis of the Treaty of Taif.[1]

Q: Has the Saudi-Yemeni border demarcation been completed? A: The efforts of the joint committees between the two countries led to the completion of the land border demarcation, and the maritime border file remained among the outstanding matters.[5]

Q: When were the first sessions of the Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council held? A: Its first sessions were held in 1395 AH, corresponding to 1975.[11]

The Saudi-Yemeni border demarcation was based on the Treaty of Taif, and the joint committees between the two countries continued to carry out the work until the completion of the land demarcation, while the successive agreements and meetings contributed to strengthening cooperation at various security, economic, social and cultural levels.[5][11]

Related topics on the platform include Treaty of Al-Uqair and Treaty of Darin.