Al-Maashiq Palace

Al-Ma’ashiq Palace
قصر المعاشيق
General information
Country	Yemen
Coordinates	12°45′52″N 45°3′15″E

Al-Ma’ashiq Palace is the seat and residence of the President of Yemen in Aden. It is located on the waterfront in Aden, in the Crater District.

History

From 1970 to 1986, the palace was a presidential reception building in the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, then in 1986, Ali Salem Al-Beidh, Secretary-General of the Yemeni Socialist Party and president of South Yemen, decided to use it as a presidential palace.

After the unification of the country, the palace became the presidential palace. It became the residence of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi after he left for Aden as part of the Yemeni civil war.

In April 2015, as part of the Battle of Aden, the Houthis occupied the palace, and eventually withdrew from it with the start of Operation Decisive Storm.

In October 2015, the palace was renovated, after suffering damage in the fighting.

In March 2021, protesters stormed the palace, driven by widespread public anger over inadequate services, poor living conditions, and the devaluation of Yemen’s currency. Reports indicated that the protest was sparked by the government’s failure to pay the salaries of retired soldiers. The protesters, reportedly members of the national guard who had not been paid for nine months, were peacefully dispersed shortly afterward, according to media accounts.