Yemen President in Riyadh to Sign Transition Plan

Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh arrived unexpectedly in Riyadh early Wednesday for the signing of a Gulf-sponsored power-transfer deal, an official here told Agence France Presse.

Saleh's visit came after the U.N.'s Yemen envoy said on Tuesday a deal aimed at ending months of political deadlock had been approved both by the opposition and by the president.

"All the parties have agreed to implement the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative," envoy Jamal Benomar told reporters in the capital Sanaa.

Official Yemeni television said Saleh, who had previously refused to stand down despite street protests, was to "attend the signing of the Gulf countries' initiative and the implementation mechanism."

The plan put forward last spring by the GCC countries headed by Saudi Arabia offers Saleh and his relatives immunity from prosecution if he hands over power to his deputy, Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi.

Benomar, who arrived in Sanaa on November 10, has been working tirelessly to secure an agreement on the Gulf transition plan.

Saleh's continued refusal to sign the initiative has triggered months of political deadlock that has left the government in a state of chaos and the economy in shambles.

The political crisis has also exacerbated tensions on the street where tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have faced a brutal 10-month government crackdown that has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.

The plan submitted by the six-nation GCC will effectively bring an end to Saleh's 33-year rule.

The political turmoil in Yemen has seen powerful tribes and army dissidents join opposition parliamentarians and tens of thousands of protesters in their struggle to oust Saleh.