Abu Bakr al-Qirbi

Abu Bakr Abdullah al-Qirbi (أبو بكر عبد الله القربي) is a Yemeni diplomat who was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Yemen from 2001 to 2014. He later also held the same role in the Houthis' contested cabinet formed in 2016, in spite of his former opposition to the Houthis.



He was vice rector of Sanaa University from 1982 to 1993 and minister of education from 1993 to 1994. On 13 December 2009, al-Qirbi urged Iran's government to crack down on Iranian groups whom he accused of aiding Houthi rebels in northern Yemen, holding the Iranian government partly to blame. According to al-Qirbi, "religious (Shiite) circles and groups in Iran are providing aid to the Houthis"; however, Iran repeatedly denied such accusations.

Following the anti-government protests in Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh dismissed all members of the Cabinet of Yemen on March 20, 2011. They were to remain as serving members until a new government was formed.

On 4 October 2016, during the civil war, he was appointed as foreign minister in Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour's cabinet.

Foreign honours

 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * Two Sicilian Royal Family: Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Francis I