Mr Saleh signed the agreement, brokered by Yemen’s Gulf Arab neighbours, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Under the plan, he will transfer his powers to his deputy ahead of an early election and in return will get immunity from prosecution.

But protesters rallying in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, said they would reject any deal giving the president immunity.

The demonstrators said the Gulf initiative ignored the “blood of martyrs”, BBC Arabic correspondent Abdullah Ghorab in Sanaa reports.