The internationally recognized government and the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) have signed a new memorandum of cooperation to overhaul road infrastructure and revive economic and trade sectors
The agreement, signed by Minister of Public Works and Roads Hussein Al-Aqrabi and Mohammed Al-Jaber, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Yemen and the general supervisor of the program, signals a move from emergency response to sustainable development, based on institutional capacity building and improved basic services.
In a statement, the Saudi program said the deal will secure sustainable road maintenance and operations while raising technical standards.
Planned measures include installing modern vehicle weighing stations to curb overloading, a leading cause of road damage, alongside technical and advisory support to rehabilitate and operate transport networks. The initiative will also bolster the Roads Maintenance Fund in coordination with relevant Saudi authorities.
Projects on the table include expanding and rehabilitating several key arteries, most notably the strategic Al-Abr Road and the Haijat Al-Abd Road, as well as other routes across multiple provinces.
The total stretch exceeds 200 kilometers, a scale expected to cut transport costs and ease the flow of trade between governorates.
The signing coincided with talks between Tariq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, and Al-Aqrabi on the ministry’s next-phase priorities.
The government’s vision places infrastructure at the heart of economic and social recovery.
Saleh underlined the ministry’s central role in establishing stability in liberated areas, describing the rehabilitation of international and inter-governorate roads as critical to easing public hardship and improving the movement of goods and supplies.
Al-Aqrabi outlined the ministry’s 2026 blueprint, focused on restoring strategic road networks and vital outlets, completing stalled projects, and improving the urban landscape to reinforce the state’s presence and strengthen public trust in government institutions.
Saleh also called for boosting the efficiency of the Roads Maintenance Fund and enforcing transparent standards in resource management and project execution, saying the current phase demands high-level performance to deliver tangible results, particularly amid Yemen’s economic and humanitarian strains.
Observers view the emphasis on transport infrastructure as a strategic calculation. Roads sit at the center of supply chains and directly affect the cost of goods and services, making their rehabilitation a practical gateway to stimulating the local economy and encouraging investment.
The development drive extends beyond transport. The same period saw expanded engagements between Yemeni officials and the Saudi program to deepen cooperation in health, education, energy, water, and agriculture.
In this context, Salem Al-Khanbashi, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council and governor of Hadhramaut, met Al-Jaber, with both sides reaffirming the depth of Yemeni-Saudi ties and commending sustained Saudi support on the military, humanitarian, and development fronts.
According to official Yemeni media, Al-Jaber said Riyadh remains committed to providing comprehensive political, economic, and developmental support to Yemen, with a focus on dialogue-based solutions that deliver security, stability, and sustainable development.
During a visit to the program’s headquarters in Riyadh, Al-Khanbashi reviewed projects implemented under a broad development framework spanning education, health, energy, transport, agriculture, and fisheries, as well as initiatives to improve basic services in Hadhramaut and other liberated provinces.
Program officials presented a detailed briefing on ongoing projects designed around citizens’ core needs, prioritizing infrastructure reinforcement and improved public service delivery to underpin social stability.
In the health sector, Yemen’s Minister of Public Health and Population, Qassem Buhaibeh, met a technical team from the Saudi program to discuss executive steps for establishing a Health Fund, described as a strategic mechanism to secure sustainable financing for medical services and upgrade care quality.
According to official sources, discussions covered the technical and procedural framework for launching the fund, including governance and transparency mechanisms to ensure resources are allocated in line with sector priorities and actual needs.
Buhaibeh said the Health Fund marks a decisive step toward stabilizing health facility finances, especially under mounting pressure on the healthcare system, praising Saudi backing that has supported infrastructure upgrades, medical equipment improvements, and human capacity development.
