republic · Arabia and the Gulf

Yemen Arab Republic

1962 CE – 1990 CE · capital Sanaa

North Yemen's republic, born in the 1962 revolution against the imamate, which fought a long civil war before uniting with the South in 1990.

Origins

On 26 September 1962 army officers led by Abdullah al-Sallal overthrew Imam Muhammad al-Badr of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen and proclaimed the Yemen Arab Republic. Egypt sent tens of thousands of troops to defend it, while Saudi Arabia backed the royalists.

Rule and society

The civil war lasted until 1970, when Saudi Arabia recognised the republic. Politics remained dominated by army officers and tribal leaders of the Hashid and Bakil confederations. President Ibrahim al-Hamdi was assassinated in 1977, and his successor too, before Ali Abdullah Saleh took power in 1978. Remittances from workers in Saudi Arabia sustained the economy, and oil was found near Marib in 1984.

Decline and legacy

After border wars in 1972 and 1979 and years of talks, North Yemen united with South Yemen on 22 May 1990 to form the Republic of Yemen, with Saleh as president.

Lineage

Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen 1918 CE – 1970 CEYemen Arab RepublicRepublic of Yemen 1990 CE – present

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Yemen Arab Republic. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yemen-arab-republic
MLA
“Yemen Arab Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yemen-arab-republic. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Yemen Arab Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yemen-arab-republic.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Yemen Arab Republic’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yemen-arab-republic (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻