Yemen Receives 2nd $250 Mln Tranche of Saudi Grant

A view of the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)
A view of the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)
TT

Yemen Receives 2nd $250 Mln Tranche of Saudi Grant

A view of the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)
A view of the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)

Yemen received a second $250 million installment from a Saudi grant on Sunday to support salary payments.

Under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Yemeni government has received $250 million as the second installment of the grant, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It said the support provided by the Kingdom demonstrates its dedication to promoting security, stability, and prosperity for the people of Yemen.

The support aims to bolster the Yemeni government’s budget, enhance the purchasing power of its citizens, and contribute to economic recovery in Yemen.

In August 2023, Yemen requested economic assistance from Saudi Arabia to address its budget deficit and ensure food security. In response, Saudi Arabia announced its support, amounting to $1.2 billion. “This aid will be utilized to support salaries, wages, operational expenses, and overall economic stability in Yemen,” SPA said.

The Kingdom has provided a total of approximately $11.2 billion in direct economic and developmental support from 2012 to 2023. The budget deficit support has had significant economic impacts, such as enhancing the living conditions of Yemeni citizens, bolstering the capacity of the Yemeni government, implementing economic reform programs, and empowering the Central Bank of Yemen through the activation of monetary policy tools.



Israel Fired at Vehicles Belonging to Syria's New Military, Killing 3

An Israeli soldier mans a machine gun atop a military vehicle as they leave the buffer zone on the border between Israel and Syria, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, 20 December 2024. EPA/ATEF SAFADI
An Israeli soldier mans a machine gun atop a military vehicle as they leave the buffer zone on the border between Israel and Syria, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, 20 December 2024. EPA/ATEF SAFADI
TT

Israel Fired at Vehicles Belonging to Syria's New Military, Killing 3

An Israeli soldier mans a machine gun atop a military vehicle as they leave the buffer zone on the border between Israel and Syria, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, 20 December 2024. EPA/ATEF SAFADI
An Israeli soldier mans a machine gun atop a military vehicle as they leave the buffer zone on the border between Israel and Syria, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, 20 December 2024. EPA/ATEF SAFADI

The Israeli army said it fired at vehicles in Syria loaded with weapons near a buffer zone established under a 1974 agreement between Syria and Israel.
The strike in the town of Ghadir al-Bustan in Quneitra province killed three people, including two members of Syria's Military Operations Administration, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The Military Operations Administration is run Syria’s de facto leadership under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which did not comment on the attack. The attack coincided with Syrian security operations to search homes for weapons, according to the war monitor.
The Israeli military said they located vehicles carrying weapons and “fired a warning shot adjacent to the vehicles, and the vehicles drove away from the area.” Asked about casualties, the Israeli military said it had no information, reported The Associated Press.
Israeli forces captured the UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights following former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s fall last month. The military has been also conducting incursions outside the buffer zone, prompting local protests.