Ma'ruf Amin Calls for Saudi Arabia and Houthis to Establish Dialogue Bridge

Former Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has called on the Government of Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group in Yemen to establish a dialogue bridge to end the escalating conflict in the region.

Through his spokesperson, Masduki Baidlowi, Ma’ruf Amin expressed deep concern and sadness over the protracted conflict. He stated that the strife between fellow Muslim nations and communities not only harms the parties involved but also carries wide-ranging systemic impacts.

“Kiai Ma’ruf Amin is deeply saddened by the current situation. He appeals to the conscience of the leaders in Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group in Yemen to immediately cease hostilities. As fellow Muslims, blood and honour are sacred. It is time to lay down arms and constructively establish a dialogue table,” Masduki Baidlowi said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Ma’ruf Amin offered a four-pillar moderation pathway (watsathiyah) to resolve the conflict. First, an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, halting all military operations by both parties and attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb and surrounding areas. This pause is deemed crucial to prevent a more severe humanitarian crisis and to secure international trade routes that impact the global economy, including energy supplies to developing nations like Indonesia.

Second, the reactivation of the internal Islamic dialogue axis (Ukhuwah Islamiyah). Ma’ruf encouraged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and prominent global Muslim scholars to act as neutral mediators. He stressed that the conflict must be resolved in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood, not through foreign interventions that only muddy the waters.

Third, political inclusivity-based reconciliation, urging the Houthi group and Saudi Arabia to sit together and agree on a roadmap for regional security governance based on mutual respect. A stable and sovereign Yemen is the key to security for Saudi Arabia, and vice versa.

Fourth, guarantees for the security of international logistics routes by agreeing on a conflict-free zone in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the benefit of humanity. He noted that disruption to this route triggers global inflation that strangles small communities across the Islamic world.

Ma’ruf Amin reminded that Indonesia, as the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, is always ready to support any peace efforts between the two nations. “War never produces a true winner; there is only destruction for the future generations of the ummah. Let us end this dispute and rebuild a dignified dialogue bridge,” Masduki conveyed on behalf of Kiai Ma’ruf Amin.