SUMMARY
The Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance (HTA), at times also called the Hadhramawt Tribes Confederacy, was a conglomerate of Hadrami tribes formed on 4 July 2013 with the aim of countering external influence in Hadramawt governorate and called for Hadrami autonomy. It came to encompass the majority of Hadramawt's tribes, including the Hamoum, Kindah, al-Shanafir, Nahd, Bani Murrah, Bani Dhanaa, al Numan, Noah, Siban, Yafa’a Hadhramaut, Thain, Al Awabeetha, and BalAbeed. Hadramawt governorate is located in Yemen's far east and was historically part of South Yemen. It is the largest province in Yemen, with considerable natural resources, but has a relatively small population.
The leader of HTA at its founding was Sheikh Saad bin Habrish al‑Aliyi, sheikh of the Hamoum tribe. He was killed by government security forces a few months later, in December 2013, leading to the election of his son Amr Bin Habrish as the new Hamoum sheikh and leader of HTA. A “Hadrami Uprising” was launched to demand retribution for the slain sheikh.
Government authority in the east Yemen collapsed during the Ansarallah coup against the government in 2014-2015, which made Ansarallah the new de facto Government of Yemen through its control of the capital. In the security vacuum al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) took over much of Hadramawt. HTA allied itself with the Forces of the Presidential Leadership Council (formerly Forces of Hadi), which is the internationally recognized government of Yemen, against AQAP, leading to its gradual loss of territorial control.
HTA promotion of self-rule for Hadramawt, rather than southern separatism, led it onto a collision course with the southern separatist movement Southern Transitional Council (STC) as it began expanding its influence in Hadramawt, in particular after their July 2022 coup of the regions governor. In October 2025, they formed an armed wing with Saudi Arabian funding, called the Hadramaut Protection Forces, with the express aim of countering the STC. Clashes erupted in December around the PetroMasila oil fields, and soon spread to other parts of Hadramawt as STC rapidly advanced, reportedly backed by airstrikes conducted by the United Arab Emirates. STC soon also clashed with the Forces of the Presidential Leadership Council, as they sought to establish full control of Hadramawt. The late-December Saudi intervention, backing both the HTA and the Presidential Leadership Council with airstrikes, turned the tide on STC, leading to their withdrawal from Hadramawt in January 2026.
On 30 December, a HTA statement indicated their willingness to be integrated under the Presidential Leadership Council's Ministry of Defence.
