Decision Makers: A personality profile of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi

Prepared using Margaret Hermann’s methodology for political personality profiling, which seeks to understand how a leader’s beliefs, values and attitudes shape their decision-making and predict future actions based on past responses and behavioural patterns.

Bio

Name: Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
Position: Leader of the Houthi movement
Age: 43–45 (b.1980–82)
Place of Birth: Saadah, Yemen
Place of Residence: Dahyan Governorate, Yemen

Key takeaways

• Leadership style: Al-Houthi exhibits low conceptual complexity and self-confidence. He also demonstrates a strong desire for power and control – likely in order to compensate for deep-seated insecurities. He is skilled at manipulating others to achieve his goals; however, his deep distrust and ideological rigidity can hinder his ability to form genuine alliances and compromise beyond his own strategic interests.
• Authoritarian and centralised: Al-Houthi leads through a highly centralised hierarchical structure that prioritises loyalty to his vision. Dissent is harshly punished within his movement.
• Strategic acumen/paranoid tendencies: Al-Houthi forms pragmatic alliances, notably with Iran, based on mutual interests – military, financial and ideological – rather than shared values. He holds a deeply mistrustful worldview, which shapes his decisions and interactions with others. He exerts strict control over his environment, displays defensive and secretive behaviour, and tends to treat others as threats.
• Ideological rigidity: Al-Houthi’s strict commitment to Zaidi Shia Islam and resistance to external influences leave little room for flexibility or negotiation.

 Leadership traits

An assessment of Abdul Malik al-Houthi’s key leadership traits based on a 31,670-word dataset from five speeches and interviews with Al-Houthi in Arabic between January 2015 and March 2025.

If you would like to access the full profile, please get in touch through the website or by emailing agower@azure-strategy.com. Azure’s personality profiles can be fully tailored. Require an assessment of a head of state, a rising political figure, or a key decision maker? Contact us to discuss how we can cater to your needs.