Saleh Ali al-Sammad صالح علي الصماد |
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Head of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen | |
Assumed office 15 August 2016* |
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Prime Minister |
Talal Aklan (Acting) Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour |
Deputy | Qassem Labozah |
Preceded by | Mohammed Ali al-Houthi (President of the Revolutionary Committee) |
Personal details | |
Born |
Bani Ma'az, Sahar District, Saada Governorate |
1 January 1979
Alma mater | Sana'a University |
Religion | Zaidi Shia Islam |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Houthis |
Battles/wars | Houthi insurgency in Yemen |
*Sammad's term has been disputed by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. |
Saleh Ali al-Sammad (Arabic: صالح علي الصماد), born on 1 January 1979 in Bani Ma'az in Sahar District, is a Yemeni political figure from the Houthi movement. As of February 2015, after the Houthi takeover of the government, he was described as "the senior Houthi leader in Sana'a". He previously served as a political adviser to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, appointed in September 2014.
Al-Sammad struck a conciliatory posture during and after the 2014–15 coup. In November 2014, after the Houthis withdrew from Yemen's "unity government", he expressed support for most of Hadi's cabinet choices, including Prime Minister Khaled Bahah. In February 2015, he said the Houthis hoped for normal relations with the United States and other countries and suggested that the group was interested in sharing power with other political factions, potentially including members of the deposed House of Representatives in a new, 551-member parliament.
On 6 August 2016, he became head of the Supreme Political Council and sworn on 14 August.
On 15 August 2016, the Supreme Revolutionary Committee handed power to the Supreme Political Council.