Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi speaks during a joint press conference with his Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (not in image), during his visit to Baghdad, Iraq, July 31, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

ADEN, Yemen - Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi arrived in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Thursday for an official visit, the state-run Saba news agency reported.

Local observers see Albudaiwi's visit as a signal of the GCC's commitment to supporting Yemen's government and helping to end the civil war

The visit is the first by a GCC chief to Yemen in around eight years. The last time a GCC secretary-general visited Aden, where the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and Yemen's internationally recognized government are based, was in 2015.

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During his visit, Albudaiwi met with Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak and other government officials to discuss ways to strengthen ties between the GCC and Yemen. The talks also focused on the possibility of peace negotiations between the warring parties in Yemen, Saba reported.

Local observers see Albudaiwi's visit as a signal of the GCC's commitment to supporting Yemen's government and helping to end the civil war. The GCC has played a key role in the past as a mediator between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.

The Yemeni government and Houthi rebel group have engaged in several rounds of negotiations, but a comprehensive resolution to the conflict remains elusive.

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Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015.