After Sheikh Abdullah's death, his son Sadiq inherited the leadership of the confederation, with other sons Hamid al-Ahmar, a prominent businessman and Yemeni opposition leader in the Muslim Brotherhood, and Himyar Al Ahmar, the former deputy speaker of parliament – becoming influential members. With the beginning of the Arab Spring, this new tribal leadership sided with the protesters and launched a Hashid insurgency, which played an essential role in the revolution against President Ali Abdullah Saleh in May 2011, culminating in the Battle of Sana'a and mass protests that eventually forced President Saleh to step down in February 2012 after 33 years in power. However, the resulting rift between the al-Ahmar clan and Saleh - who retained loyalty of some Hashid tribes - led to the divisions within the Hashid confederation. This, along with the suspension of financial support by Saudi Arabia over al-Ahmar's continued alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood, had contributed to their defeat in the ensuing conflict with the Houthis and led to the subsequent loss of Hashid leadership as many tribes (Bani Suraim, Usaimat, Uzer, etc.) reached a peace agreement or sided with the rebels.