Saada Governor to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Advances Being Made on All Fronts

Houthi militants in Saada, Yemen. (Reuters)
Houthi militants in Saada, Yemen. (Reuters)
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Saada Governor to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Advances Being Made on All Fronts

Houthi militants in Saada, Yemen. (Reuters)
Houthi militants in Saada, Yemen. (Reuters)

The governor of Yemen’s Saada province stressed that positive developments are in store for the Alab region leading to the Baqim area.

Hadi Tarshan al-Waily told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Ktaf and al-Baq areas are also witnessing an advance by the national Yemeni army, backed by the Arab Coalition.

The al-Fara and Diqat al-Khzam area have been cleared of Houthi mines and stability has been restored there.

“Advances are being made on all fronts,” he stressed.

“Arrangements are being made to advance in the Razeh area in Saada in northern Yemen. The advance will continue there until the forces reach the center of the province,” stressed Waily.

In addition, he hailed a recent statement by the Saada tribes in which they rebelled against the Houthi actions and their hostile behavior towards Saudi Arabia.

“This is a major development that brought together all Saada residents. They have all voiced their support for the legitimacy forces and Arab Coalition and rejection of the alien Iranian ideology,” he said.

“The sons of Saada are eager for the Yemeni army to enter their regions,” he stated.

These tribes were the first to confront the Iran-backed Houthis over seven years ago. The militias only succeeded in capturing Saada after seizing the weapons of the former military, explained Waily.

On the firing of ballistic missiles from Saada towards Saudi Arabia, he said that they are being intercepted because the locals oppose the Houthi actions towards the Kingdom.

The tribes distanced themselves from the ballistic attacks, saying that they are being fired by the Houthis. They also revealed that they will form a political council to hold meetings with the envoys of Arab Coalition members.



Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Our Top Priority is Energy Support

The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
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Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Our Top Priority is Energy Support

The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)

Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Anatolii Petrenko, stressed that his country’s “top priority is energy support in multiple ways,” pointing to preparatory measures between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine concerning a Saudi aid package, most of which consists of energy equipment.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Petrenko said that the Kingdom has been assisting Ukrainian civilians since the early days of the “full-scale Russian invasion,” as he described it. He said Saudi aid “has helped provide decent living conditions for our people, who have been forced by the war to relocate to safe areas within the country. It has also helped us maintain citizens' access to medical services and sustain social infrastructure.”
The ambassador emphasized the difficult period Ukraine is facing due to “energy shortages caused by regular Russian attacks on critical infrastructure,” which previously ensured daily needs for urban and municipal areas. He expressed concern about the approaching winter season and the severe drop in temperatures across the country.
Petrenko pointed to the need for energy resources, as well as access to light, water and heat, to enable the Ukrainian agricultural sector to continue contributing to global and regional food security.
He expressed his country’s firm belief in the importance of Saudi Arabia’s support to bring energy self-sufficiency in Ukraine, presently and in the long term.”
He added: “Through our united efforts, we can enhance the green energy agenda by smartly utilizing diverse renewable energy sources as key resources that can give us complete energy independence.”
The Ukrainian ambassador described the Saudi friendship as “an Arab generosity.” He noted that both Ukraine and the Kingdom were jointly studying “the latest innovations and sustainable technologies, such as combined heat and power plants and piston turbines, which could offset energy losses in various regions of Ukraine and thus prevent humanitarian crises in the winter season for hundreds of thousands of people.”
On the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, Petrenko stated that his country “stands firmly to celebrate another anniversary of its independence, while appreciating the immense contributions and aid provided by international partners and friends, including Saudi Arabia, which holds a prominent position in leading humanitarian efforts in the region and encourages others to follow the same approach.”
“This represents a success story that will open a new chapter in energy resilience, which helps us achieve national independence,” he underlined.
The ambassador added that Ukraine highly values its bilateral relations with the Kingdom.
“On behalf of my country, I express my gratitude to Saudi Arabia, both the government and the people, for everything they are doing to alleviate the humanitarian challenges facing civilians today,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Riyadh continues to send planes carrying tons of humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRELIEF).
This follows an agreement and memorandum of understanding signed by both sides last year, which included providing an additional humanitarian aid package to Ukraine amounting to $400 million, as well as emergency medical and shelter aid valued at $10 million for refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries, particularly Poland, in coordination with the Polish government and UN organizations.